Apprentice

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Apprentice

Released Mar 3, 2017

1h 36m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Aiman, a 28-year-old Malay correctional officer, is transferred to the territory's top prison. At his new job, he is asked to become an apprentice to Rahim, the facility's executioner. Aiman tells his sister of his new position, and she becomes upset when she realizes their father was actually executed by Rahim. Aiman knew this all along. Aiman must overcome his conscience and a haunted past if he wants to become the next chief executioner.

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Stephen Holden

New York Times

At first "Apprentice" seems to be a basic revenge film in which Aiman stalks the man who killed his father. But it becomes psychologically more complex ...

Mar 2, 2017

Full Review

Nick Schager

Village Voice

Drenched in darkness and routinely visualizing its characters behind bars and alone in the frame, Apprentice teases a climax of bloody revenge, only to take a far more somber, complex turn.

Mar 1, 2017

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Andrea Gronvall

Chicago Reader

Benoit Soler's fluid, revolving camera frequently visualizes what the main character can't verbalize, and writer-director Boo Junfeng treats his thorny topic with sensitivity, but the pat ending is a letdown.

Feb 27, 2017

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

The film ends up a somewhat murky psychological character study and not much more.

Jul 8, 2020

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Ricardo Gallegos

Pólvora

A complex psychological film with ideas worth contemplating for a long time. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 3, 2020

Full Review

Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Film Vault

"The Apprentice" is a great film that manages to shed light on a global topic and its particular circumstances in Singapore, without detracting anything from the dramatic/entertaining aspect of the film.

Dec 2, 2019

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isla s

This is very much a sobering watch - not an easy one, especially for the squeamish, or those prone to claustrophobia, for obvious reasons. I suppose it made me think, if but a little, of the film The Green Mile. The moral quandary of whether it can ever be, or feel, right to take someone's life after them having taken someone else's, well, that's surely one of the oldest questions and most debated things in many hundreds of years, esp. since the rise of what's regarded as civilised society. I thought this film did well at showing things from the point of view of the main character, Aiman, played by Firdaus Rahman. I would recommend this, as an example of a decent drama which is a piece of world cinema (its mainly in Malay, with some English dialogue). Its a tough watch due to the theme, as I say but otherwise its worth a watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's a very simple story but so multi-layered. Really like the way it's executed (no pun intended), tho some scenes were hard to watch... great job Boo Junfeng!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

nilufer e

It was an intense movie in which you keep waiting for something drastic to happen but it never does, however the acting was good and it was an original movie. Wouldn't watch it twice though.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Possibly good but most of it not in English and I can't be bothered with subs

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

One of the best and most purposeful Singaporean films I've ever seen. Full review:>> http://bit.ly/2gBNEir

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

A very decent character drama, with pitch-perfect casting and performances. Perhaps some "travelling" shots could stand to be cut, but otherwise, it's absorbing and well-paced.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

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Boo Junfeng

Director

Firdaus Rahman

Aiman

Wan Hanafi Su

Rahim

Mastura Ahmad

Suhaila

Boon Pin Koh

James

Nickson Cheng

Joseph

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Apprentice: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Aiman, a 28-year-old Malay correctional officer, is transferred to the territory's top prison. At his new job, he is asked to become an apprentice to Rahim, the facility's executioner. Aiman tells his sister of his new position, and she becomes upset when she realizes their father was actually executed by Rahim. Aiman knew this all along. Aiman must overcome his conscience and a haunted past if he wants to become the next chief executioner.

Director: Boo Junfeng
Producer: Fran Borgia, Raymond Phathanavirangoon, Fong Cheng Tan
Screenwriter: Boo Junfeng
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: Augenschein Filmproduktion
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Malay
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 3, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 9, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.6K
Runtime: 1h 36m

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