PETALING JAYA, August 30 — Malaysian film Takluk: Lahad Datu has taken the local box-office by storm, quickly eclipsing Alien: Romulus to claim the No.1 spot.

Inspired by the real-life events of the 2013 Lahad Datu stand-off, the film tops the charts at the right time, with a little local flavour leading up to the Merdeka weekend.

If intense action-packed stand-offs and sci-fi aren’t your style, don’t worry — Malay Mail has you covered with a fresh roundup of the Top 10 local and international films, series, music, and books of the week.

Here’s your guide to a fun weekend with Malay Mail’s top picks!

Top 10 films in local cinemas (Domestic & International) (August 22 to August 25)

Takluk: Lahad Datu

Alien: Romulus

SEVENTEEN Tour Follow Again To Cinemas

Successor

Deadpool & Wolverine

A Place Called Silence

Demonte Colony 2

Despicable Me 4

Thangalaan

Blink Twice

Source: Cinema.com and GSC

Top 10 streaming on Netflix and Viu (August 19 to August 25)

Netflix (Top 10 TV)

TV Series

Love Next Door: Limited Series

Emily in Paris: Season 4

The Bridge: Season 1

Terror Tuesday: Extreme: Season 1

The Frog: Limited Series

Romance in the House: Limited Series

Lovely Runner

American Murder: Laci Peterson: Season 1

Lost: Season 1

BoBoiBoy Galaxy: Windara: Season 1

Source: Netflix Top 10

Viu (Top 10 shows)

Bawah Payung Awan S2

Good Partner

Serendipity’s Embrace

Bawah Payung Awan S1

Perfect Family

Running Man (2024)

Nafsu

Melakar Langit Bersama Bintang

Girlfriend

The secret

Source: Viu Frontpage and Instagram

Top 10 songs of the week (Spotify) (August 20 to August 28)

Lady Gaga - Die With A Smile (w/ Bruno Mars)

Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please

Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

Ernie Zakri - Masing Masing (w/ Ade Govinda)

Jimin - Who

Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love)

Sabrina Carpenter - Taste

Henry Moodie - drunk text

Dhruv - double take

Top 10 Malay songs of the week (Spotify) (August 20 to August 28)

Haqiem Rusli - Sangkar Derita

Ernie Zakri - Masing Masing (w/ Ade Govinda)

Zizan Razak, SonaOne - Chentaku (feat. SonaOne)

Sarah Suhairi, Alfie Zumi - SAH

Anggis Devaki- Kisah Tanpa Dirimu

Aziz Harun - Janji

Hafiz Suip - Ku Akui

Fimie Don - Salahkan Aku

Rio Clappy - Bunga Abadi

Aina Abdul, Fabio Asher - cinta tak pernah tepat waktu

Source: kworb.net and Spotify

Top 10 books of the week (August 16 to August 22)

Fiction

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum (Simon & Schuster UK)

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (Atria Books)

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (HarperCollins)

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (HarperCollins)

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (Doubleday)

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover (Atria)

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang (William Morrow)

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee (Wildfire)

The Exchange by John Grisham (Doubleday)

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (Delacorte Press)

Non-Fiction

Once Upon a Miao 4: My School Holidays by Jian Goh & Cheeming Boey (Goh Kheng Swee & Boey Chee Ming)

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee (Penerbit Haru)

Atomic Habits by James Clear (Avery)

Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson (St. Martin's Essentials)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (Harper)

Shattered Hopes by Romen Bose (PRH SEA)

I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee (Bloomsbury UK)

Once Upon a Miao 2 by Jian Goh (Zhang Yimou Publishing)

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim (Penguin Life)

Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles (Hutchinson/Penguin Life/Gaia)

Mutiara Minda (Malay Novels)

Extrovert by Abstrakim (Karya Bestari)

Introvert (New Cover) by Abstrakim (Buku Fixi)

Bayang Sofea by Teme Abdullah (Iman Publication)

Chef's Cuisine (Edisi Pengumpul) by Effalee (Manes Wordworks)

Kafe Purnama Bayu by Haninay (Bookiut)

Lelaki Astatine by Anjell (Karyaseni)

Perempuan Busana Merah by Ramlee Awang Murshid (Buku Prima)

Yes! Captain Zul Aaryan by Wnfhanna (idea kreatif publication)

Anak Perempuan Dato' Pengarah by Rehan Makhtar (Karyaseni)

Selamat Datang ke Kedai Buku Hyunam-dong by Hwang Bo-reum (Karangkraf)

Source: MPH