Fanxiao

The movie shows what Taiwan was like back when KMT government refused to give citizens the rights of freedom, as a Taiwanese I'm so grateful that Taiwan now is a liberal and democratic country, thank you "Detention" for showing me how precious freedom is.

The story is a tragedy during Taiwanese white terror period.(1949-1991) During this period the freedom of assembly and association are strictly forbidden. In this film, many people are sentenced to death for the reasons which are considered far from crimes today. The budget of this movie is less than 3 million US dollar. However the quality of this movie is much way better than it's cost. Good script. Good casting. Good directing. Good sound design. Good scoring. And excellent production design! Especially it was adapted from a computer game with the same title "Detention". It is very hard to adapt a computer game to a film, but they made it! Though the story still has some pacing problems, it's still an excellent work with this budget. I enjoyed this film very much.

Considering its original game, adaptation was so smoothly done. Not considering its original game, the way that this plot go is so brilliant!!

It's classified as a thriller, but what catches my eyes is the plot and the awesome choice of the actors and actresses. Even if you don't understand Taiwanese history, the movie is still deserved watching. I expected to be frightened When entering the theater, but end up crying when leaving.

Let's get off with the negatives first, because I couldn't find more than two... First, the quality of the CGI falls short, which does acts as a deterrent in overall experience, as visuals are a critical component in the storyline here and two, like many other reviewers, I too have found the conclusion a bit unsatisfactory and believe it warranted a more skilful resolution.

With all that being said, I am genuinely impressed by how the writing aptly blends metaphor and psychological elements within a narrative that primarily addresses the dark, oppressive era of "White Terror" in Taiwan in 60s'.

While "Detention" is fundamentally a historical period drama, it is infused with a level of technical excellence typically associated with horror productions, which, in my opinion, enhances its appeal. Another commendable aspect is the acting, which as we all know could significantly influence the efficacy of a narrative, regardless of the literary and technical expertise available.

I would also like to appreciate the honesty and dedication demonstrated by each member of the cast, particularly Gingle Wang as Fang Ray-shin. Portraying a complex character like that is no easy feat, yet she effectively conveyed the anger and resentment that are deeply ingrained in her personality, her performance undoubtedly leaves the biggest mark!