SINGAPORE — You’d be forgiven for thinking 3 Peas In A Pod was one of those fun-in-the-sun road trip movies replete with slapstick comedy a la the National Lampoon vacation series or even Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle.

After all, the premise certainly does suggest that: Three university friends — rich Korean kid Peter (Alexander Lee Eusebio), Taiwanese straight-As student Perry (Calvin Chen) and Singapore girl Penny (newcomer Jae Liew), nicknamed The 3 Ps — decide take a road trip upon graduation.

While it’s meant to mark the start of their new lives, they also want to settle some unresolved issues: Penny has the hots for Peter, even as she is the apple of Perry’s eye. Put them together in a Rolls Royce convertible down the Great Ocean Way and cue loads of laughs with the occasional touch of melodrama, right?

Well, not really.

Personally, I would have hated it if Michelle Chong’s sophomore directorial effort was nothing more than that. While Chong could have easily peppered 3 Peas with the usual comedic japes she’s done before, it’s to her credit that she opted to do a movie that isn’t quite so mainstream.

Call it indie, arthouse, even dark comedy, it’s almost as if Chong wants to see how far she can stretch her wings. Someone who watched the movie called it “morbidly funny” and you can see why: It’s infused with slivers of Gus Van Sant, Eric Khoo and Wong Kar Wai.

Of course, there are things you can pick on: The overly dramatic scenes; the character development (or lack thereof); or the fact that the sweeping shots of the Australian landscape make the movie seem more like a travel ad sometimes.

But Chong has added layers and textures that weren’t evident in her first film, Already Famous, and a couple of plot twists ensure this film isn’t your run-of-the-mill rom-com. Furthermore, I quite like the way in which Chong unveils the narrative, opting for stylistic jump cuts and a non-linear method of storytelling.

Part of the movie’s charm lies with the young cast. Eusebio, as the pretty boy Peter, and Chen, as the lovelorn Perry, may be the “veterans” here; but Liew, despite having no acting experience, manages to hold her own against the pair. Sure, there are moments where she borders on over-acting, but her performance shows promise — if she ever decides to go the acting route. A movie like this needs the cast’s chemistry to hold it all together and, luckily, the three manage to do so. It’s easy to believe they’ve been friends for a long time.

The old adage, caveat emptor applies here: This isn’t a straight-out comedy. While this movie might appear to be a surprise move for Chong, I would say it’s a move in the right direction.

(NC16, 90 mins)