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Paper Tiger

Play trailer 1:30 Poster for Paper Tiger 2020 1h 34m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 57% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
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.
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Paper Tiger

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
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

Audience Reviews

View All (2) audience reviews
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
Paper Tiger

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

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
Pin-Chun Liu, Paul Kowalski, Bonnie Buckner
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
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