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Juvenile Offender

Play trailer Poster for Juvenile Offender 2012 1h 47m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Ji-Gu, a 16-year-old teenager, takes care of his grandfather after his parents abandon him at an early age. He is sent to a detention center after a run-in with the police and learns his mother has returned to bail him out.

Critics Reviews

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John Fink The Film Stage Observation and restrained, Juvenile Offender is mature and subtle, although quite frustrating. Rated: B+ Jul 11, 2016 Full Review Amber Wilkinson Eye for Film Though it was written after an invitation from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to direct a film on the human rights of offenders, the issues are never allowed to over-shadow the moving journey of the characters. Rated: 4/5 Jul 20, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member This movie messes with my mind as I have a very distinct idea of Asian model minority. This story of a teenage boy who was conceived by an unwed teenage mom, who in turn fathers a baby out if wedlock with his teenage girlfriend is incredibly disturbing to me. Both son and mother are stuck in constant dead end jobs while lying and swindling to survive. THIS just ...doesn't happen within Asian community. I need to think about this, over one my obvious personal stereotype, to accept the entire premise of this film. The resulting consequences to these juvenile dilenquents seems rather perjorative and therefore a contrived lesson to reinforce the Asian ethic of studying hard in order to have a good life. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member A painful film to watch mostly cause the characters won't grow up... Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member A heart-breaking story of a young boy who truly tries to make things right in his life... a meeting with his mom who abandoned him after giving birth at age 17... who is the real adult between them? Seo Young-ju gives a fabulous performance that won him Best Actor in Tokyo. I look forward to seeing him in Kim Ki-duk's new film..... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a real gem. It's a Korean film about a troubled 16 year old juvenile delinquent whose mother (who gave birth to him as a teenager) resurfaces just after his grandfather, who had been raising, passes away. It's a familiar trope and contains SOME of the expected beats but goes into some surprising directions that's both realistic and poetic, in a way. It actually feels like a Korean Dardenne Brothers movie. The two lead actors are both outstanding. This is another festival film to keep an eye out on. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Juvenile Offender

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Ji-Gu, a 16-year-old teenager, takes care of his grandfather after his parents abandon him at an early age. He is sent to a detention center after a run-in with the police and learns his mother has returned to bail him out.
Director
Kang Yi-kwan
Producer
Kang Yi-kwan, Joo Young Park
Screenwriter
Kang Yi-kwan, Joo Young Park
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 25, 2016
Runtime
1h 47m