Neither documentary nor fiction, Royston Tan's feature-length version of an earlier, award-winning short is a gritty, disturbing portrait of Singapore's forgotten youth. The film follows five teenage hoodlums as they go about their daily lives, which involve gangs, drugs, smuggling, violence, and lots of body modifications. The film is shot in a fast-paced, non-linear style that highlights the immediacy of the action, making it all the more unpalatable and difficult to watch. The desperation of the delinquents is immeasurable and captured beautifully (Tan has faced many accusations of exploitation), with stark emotions expressed by actors in situations similar to those of their characters. Their nihilism is explicit, as one boy searches for the perfect location for suicide, and another inflicts wounds on himself in an attempt to expunge the pain and frustration he has already seen in his short life.

China | Chinese | Teenage | Teenagers

Genre:

• Drama Movies

Movie Categories:

• Dramas