Synopsis

Inspired by the real-life event of the 1996 nationwide blackout in Malaysia, 5:13 tells the story of two individuals in a desperate fight against paranoia, terror and eventually each other as they struggle to face growing, inexplicable threats from the outside whilst stripped of all information and resources.

Vivien (Samantha Tan) awakes on the night of her wedding anniversary to find that she is alone, her journalist husband Richard nowhere to be seen. All electricity and phone lines are dead, and her only sources of information are the sudden infrequent news reports beeping through an emergency radio frequency.

The broadcasts repeatedly refer to a worsening situation on the Thai-Malaysian border, where an unexpected incident has seemingly caused widespread chaos and destruction. All Vivien knows about Richard's whereabouts is that he is in a village near that region investigating a story about a bomoh (Malaysian shaman/witch doctor), and in her anxiety she cannot help but dread that there is some connection between the two.

As the night progresses, strange noises begin to surround the outside of her home, and worry turns to terror as something gradually tries to break in. Out of nowhere, her husband's best friend Ash (Iki Putra) comes to her aid, bearing a strange message from Richard on his phone. A message that is soon to be contradicted by one she receives herself.

As the night wears on, fear and paranoia begin to take hold. Not just despair at the events going on outside the house, but the emergence of old fears that have long underlined their lives and still cripple both her and Ash. As doubts and suspicions grow, deep cuts are reopened and old wounds are freshly bled.

Slowly but surely, both Vivien and Ash learn that what you trust can hurt you.