Paper Tiger

2020

1h 34m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

TRAILER

for Paper Tiger: Trailer 1

List

80%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

57%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Paper Tiger follows immigrant mother Lily, who after the death of her husband is left alone to care for Edward, her teenaged son. At school Edward is bullied, his grades plummet, he hallucinates his dead father – and is diagnosed with a mental illness. Matters escalate after Lily learns she has cancer and Edward stops taking his medicine, causing him to manifest a video game character who urges him to shoot up his school.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Sep 05

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Watch Paper Tiger with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, or buy on Fandango at Home.

Daniel L

It's difficult to make a movie about a school shooter boring but Paper Tiger is full of surprises. This movie is somehow both too obvious AND inconsistent. The character seems written by a pearl-clutching news addict - he finds solace and inspiration in his vigilante justice game, planning revenge on his one dimensional bullies. But he's also at least four different characters: a nearly catatonic 17 y/o who can neither talk to people or understand what they are saying, a chatty intelligent nephew with quick banter, a rageful loner who calculates the demise of those around him, and a class clown that can't help but fly into bird impressions. At times he's capable of understanding and empathy, at others he is trying to mimic what smiling looks like. These things don't make the character more interesting, they make him not a character. He's not a real person so we have no idea what to think about him. The only saving grace is the ending: a rumination of whether a mother is responsible for the person her son is and what he will become. At its worst this movie spews irresponsible takes on mental health, villainizing video games and medication. It can be argued that the film maker punishes the main character for stashing his pills, but there's no doubt that it argues that medication takes away his ability to thinking clearly, act creatively, and feel like himself. What is the message here? This movie slowly disappoints the entire time. The characters weren't developed, the messages are tactless, and my biggest beef: this could have been a good movie. Instead it's a waste of time.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/04/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Very thought-provoking and well-made film, with a gut-punch ending.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Paul Kowalski

Director

Lydia Look

Lily

Alan Trong

Edward

Elaine Kao

Mei

Seth Numrich

JT

Lynn Chen

Ms. Li

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

53%

98%

Back Roads

TRAILER

for Back Roads

94%

69%

First Reformed

TRAILER

for First Reformed

97%

91%

Monster

TRAILER

for Monster

89%

%

Silence & Darkness

100%

62%

A Son

TRAILER

for A Son

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Paper Tiger: Trailer 1

1:30

View more videos

View more photos

Ray Lobo

Battle Royale With Cheese

Paper Tiger just stagnates in a pool of dour misery.

Sep 16, 2021

Full Review

Carey-Ann Pawsey

Orca Sound

It is great to find a film in which the important topic of mental health is dealt with in a serious and respectful way.

Sep 9, 2021

Full Review

Aaron Neuwirth

We Live Entertainment

Everything ends up building towards a climax that will undoubtedly raise eyebrows.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 27, 2021

Full Review

Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

A somber film, but also a grimly compelling one.

Rated: B-

Aug 27, 2021

Full Review

Nathaniel Muir

AIPT

As with any movie that handles sensitive subject matter, this can be a tough watch. Its mix of topics makes it interesting and in some terrifying ways relatable.

Aug 25, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Paper Tiger follows immigrant mother Lily, who after the death of her husband is left alone to care for Edward, her teenaged son. At school Edward is bullied, his grades plummet, he hallucinates his dead father – and is diagnosed with a mental illness. Matters escalate after Lily learns she has cancer and Edward stops taking his medicine, causing him to manifest a video game character who urges him to shoot up his school.

Director: Paul Kowalski
Producer: Michael Y. Chow, Ken Kalopsis, Haoxiang Kuai
Screenwriter: Paul Kowalski
Production Co: XRM Media
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 24, 2021
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now