Movie trailer featuring Yishun draws mixed reactions

In recent months, Yishun has earned itself a sinister name.

From cat murderers to sinkholes, to giant caterpillars and cow sightings, it is no wonder that many commentators jokingly call for a wall to be built around Yishun to protect the rest of the country from the northern town. Even Netflix has dedicated a promotional video of horror show Stranger Things to Yishun, while mrbrown has dubbed it the "dark side of paradise".

However, we are all but outsiders. How bad is Yishun, really?

This movie trailer might just shed some light on that mystery.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/JUOproductions/videos/1665508793467102/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED[/embed]

Produced by local YouTube channel JUO Productions, the trailer follows a young couple as they prepare to move into a new home at Yishun, unaware of the perils that await them.

A bloodied doll falls out of the wardrobe in their bedroom. A giant green caterpillar rests on a tree, biding its time. A man lies dead on the ground. Godzilla spews laser beams, razing everything in the area.

Worst of all? The couple finds, to their horror, that after three hours of driving, they are still stuck in Yishun.

There is no escape.

The trailer has drawn mixed reactions from Singaporeans, some of whom felt the trailer went overboard in its exaggeration of Yishun's reputation.

Facebook user Peter Wong Fei Hong said: "you have no right to demonise an entire estate without thinking of the consequences of the lives of the yishun people. just for your greed (sic) of a few more youtube clicks, you do this. there's 57,000 flats and about 200,000 residents you are talking about here. do you want your estate to be demonised in the same way?"

"Nope, there are lots of reports on stuff happening in Bukit Panjang, Tiong Bahru, Hougang etc too but people choose to ignore it and pick on Yishun. Recently nothing happened in Yishun but people still pick on Yishun," wrote Facebook user Caroline Chia.

Yishun residents, or "Yishunites", also came to their town's defence, pointing out that the strange events reported were few and far between.

Others expressed their amusement, and tagged their friends staying in the area to watch it as well.

A few Yishun residents were tickled by the video, with Facebook user Melvin Tan saying, "As a guy living in Yishun, I can attest to all these! I have lived in Yishun all my life. And.... have not left it since forever!"

Some netizens, impressed by the quality of the trailer, even called upon JUO Productions to make a full-fledged movie and cast true blue Yishunites with the "#yishunsiaolang aura".

pariel@sph.com.sg