This programme is listed in NAC-AEP 2023-2025 and eligible for Tote Board Arts Grant subsidy of up to 50%.

Popular films are not just mindless entertainment; upon critical examination, they actually reveal deeper insights into cultural fears, anxieties, desires, and important issues in modern societies. For example, how do contemporary superhero films such as Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman (2017) and Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) relate to real-life social movements? How do coming-of-age characters in animated films deal with mental health issues? To address these questions about diverse topics in popular films, critical thinking is (the) key.

Critical Thinking through Popular Cinema aims to demystify critical thinking by making the process of critical thinking itself explicit and visible—and hence more accessible for students. Specifically, students will be guided through a systematic 3-step approach to critical analysis through the fun and accessible medium of popular films. Through close analysis of film clips and situating films within wider contexts, students will learn how to methodically map out and unpack arguments, using the criterion-based intellectual standards of critical thinking: relevance, sufficiency, and acceptability. Ultimately, students will learn how to use popular films as a form of source-based evidence to analyse and interpret past and present socio-political issues; apply specific critical thinking skills in a structured manner when articulating complex issues through effective arguments; as well as appreciate popular films at a deeper level.

This programme offers a range of focus topics that you can choose from for your students, such as:

1. Self-identity in Superhero Films
2. Law and Justice in Superhero Films
3. Mental Health in Animated Films
4. War and Cinema

Some examples of popular films covered in this programme are Brad Bird’s Incredibles 2 (2018), Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008), Pete Docter’s Inside Out (2015), and Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit (2019), depending on which focus topic you choose. Films are carefully curated for specific student groups and based on IMDA’s Films Classification Database.

Integral to the programme are student-engagement activities that include a combination of digital platforms such as Kahoot! and Poll Everywhere, open-ended questions posed to the floor, and small group discussions for collaborative learning. These activities aim to consolidate students’ learning and empower them to become more effective self-directed thinkers beyond the programme, as they will be able to apply the same critical thinking techniques when engaging with other texts and media, as well as school subjects such as History, Geography, English Literature, Social Studies, Economics, and General Paper.

For more information, please email Ain or Wei Li at inquiry@subtxt.com.sg