KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 -- Collecting an impressive RM10.2 million from early screenings and its first week, local film Malaikat Malam has surged to No. 1 at the Malaysian box office.

In an unexpected twist, it overtook the globally celebrated sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary, which debuted at the same time but now trails in second place - a clear sign of the power of local audiences rallying behind homegrown cinema.

The big screen isn't short on choices with titles like Hoppers, Kong Tao, and the Ready or Not sequel adding to the mix.

Streaming platforms are equally stacked with fresh releases worth diving into, from Netflix's Phantom Lawyer to Viu's Hening Cinta and the Spanish mystery If It's Tuesday. It's Murder.

Cinematic heavy-hitter...