Film Review: Call Me Dada (Short) (2025) - Hong Kong / Thailand
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
I rated it 7.5/10
Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2
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In the neon-soaked underbelly of Bangkok, where the hum of air-conditioners battles the chaos of the streets, Daniel Smith’s Call Me Dada arrives like a swift, stylish kick to the ribs — a short film that punches well above its runtime. At just under 11 minutes, it delivers a taut, propulsive action-comedy that feels both intimately personal and energetically cinematic. This is no mere calling card; it’s a confident little gem that announces Smith as a filmmaker with real genre command and a sly sense of humor.
Bianca Lau is magnetic as Dada, an ex-con scraping by cleaning condos while trying to stay one step ahead of her past. Lau brings a grounded ferocity to the role — equal parts weary resilience and simmering maternal fire. When the clock starts ticking and she’s given eight hours to deliver “the goods” or lose her daughter forever, the film transforms from quiet character study into a breathless chase. Lau carries the weight with impressive physicality, especially in the film’s standout fight sequence, which crackles with raw, inventive choreography that feels refreshingly unpolished compared to big-budget martial arts spectacles.
Smith’s direction keeps the energy high without losing clarity — the Bangkok locations are used evocatively, turning everyday condos and alleyways into a pressure-cooker arena. The black-comedy undertones prevent the stakes from tipping into pure melodrama, landing somewhere between the gritty urgency of classic Hong Kong crime thrillers and the offbeat charm of Southeast Asian indie action.
What elevates Call Me Dada beyond a simple genre exercise is its beating heart: the fierce, protective love of a mother willing to dive back into the darkness for her child. In a world that often reduces such characters to stereotypes, Smith and Lau give us something more complex — a woman who is neither glorified hero nor tragic victim, but a survivor fighting on her own terms. The film’s economical storytelling trusts the audience to fill in the emotional gaps, making its brief running time feel surprisingly satisfying.
Is it perfect? Not quite. A touch more breathing room for character backstory or a slightly sharper script in the quieter moments could have pushed it into masterpiece territory for the short format. Yet these are minor quibbles in a package that entertains, moves, and lingers.
Call Me Dada is a punchy, heartfelt delight — proof that big emotions and inventive action can thrive in small packages. Seek it out at festivals or wherever bold indie shorts find their audience. It’s well worth your time.
Now we wait for the feature length version. (Neo, 2026)