In A Good Child, lead star Richie Koh fully steps into the role of Jia Hao, a character based on the Singaporean drag queen Sammi Zhen (real name Christopher Lim), for his feature lead debut. His bold hair, eclectic energy, and sassy personality breathe life onto the screen. While Jia Hao is loved at his sold-out comedy shows, he’s estranged from his conservative family. Everything changes when he decides to reconnect with his dementia-stricken, widowed mother (Hong Huifang).
A Good Child’s narrative is straightforward, based on Sammi’s own biography, but it’s more than just a human portrait. Ong also highlights the stigma faced by the LGBTQ community in Singapore. Over the years, there has been a growing acceptance of LGBTQ rights in Singapore, especially among the younger generation. However, generational divides remain, an issue that Jia Hao and his family face. Ong examines how these opposing views can affect someone well into their adulthood. It’s praiseworthy given how there is little queer-positive representation in Singapore cinema.
But Ong doesn’t stop there. As if it’s not melodramatic enough, another family issue that Jia Hao has to face is his ailing mother, who has mistaken him for her long-lost daughter. He keeps up the charade as her condition deteriorates. Ong portrays their newfound relationship with tenderness and fun. But he also examines the underlying consequences of Singapore’s ageing population through the state of dementia care, which costs US$18,490 per year on average. In 2025, over 20% of Singaporeans will be aged 80 or older—resulting in increasing family obligations.
While these references are relevant, Ong doesn’t shy away from sprinkling humour. Jia Hao’s fun banter with his mother is a joy to watch. His sarcasm can be taken as rude or disrespectful, but he speaks the truth. As time goes by, even his mother learns to embrace it, and eventually him. Also central to the film are the transformative performances by its cast, masterfully anchored by Koh—who earned a Golden Horse Award nomination for his magnetic turn as Jia Hao. Despite how others view him, including his own family, Jia Hao refuses to be defined by external biases. His resilience in the face of challenges is impressive, and Koh’s performance is nothing short of a revelation. He delivers Jia Hao’s confidence hidden beneath profound sadness and loneliness. Veteran actress Hong equally matched Koh’s sass with her own as Jia Hao’s mother, so there’s rarely a dull moment in the film.
The shift from humor to drama and back is central to A Good Child’s rollercoaster journey. Ong switches between Jia Hao’s colourful world of drag performances to the desolate reality of his familial obligations. As the film develops, so do its characters. Jia Hao is no longer tied down by hatred, his older brother owns up to his responsibilities, and his mother comes to terms with her past. This family portrait is almost reminiscent of Thai blockbuster How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. But at times, Ong tries to hammer the drama too much through the soundtrack. Towards the second half of the film, there is almost a backtrack playing after every scene. Instead of the soundtrack deepening the scene, it seems desperate to pull a reaction from the viewers.
Though not without its flaws, A Good Child is a moving film. It’s also a step forward for Singapore cinema to show more diverse stories. The film is an example of how to balance humor with social commentary and drama. Ultimately, A Good Child raises questions while delicately examining the universal desire for belonging, home, family, and self-love.
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A Good Child (好孩子)—Singapore. Dialog in English, Mandarin Chinese, Hokkien. Directed by Ong Kuo Sin. Running time 1 hour 59 min. First released October 9, 2025 in Singapore cinemas. Starring Richie Koh, Hong Hui Fang, Johnny Lu, Charlie Goh, Cheryl Chou.
This article is part of Cinema Escapist’s coverage of the 2025 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.