Detention is a 2019-2020 film that was directed by John Hsu and stars Gingle Wang, Jing Hua Tseng, and Fu Mengbo. This was Hsu's debut film and he ended up being earning multiple nominations. Mainland China banned the film from being shown due to government order however, the film saw huge success in Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as other parts of East Asia. A television series of the same name was created on Netflix which tells the story a different way from the film.
Two students are punished after being in a book club that had books banned by the Chinese government during their martial law on Taiwan in the 1960s. They soon find themselves in a night mare version of their hillside school at night and unable to escape...... There in that place, they must face the reality of their DETENTION.
This film's plot is based off a video game that resembles that of Japan's nightmare school horror called Corpse Party. The only difference is that Detention is based off Taiwan's real history period known as "The White Terror". Still, the plot deals with students suddenly stuck in a school while having to fight ghosts and puzzles to get out. I wouldn't say that Detention is a horror film. Instead, the plot falls on a thriller aspect with supernatural elements as the film shifts between two different time periods in the two character's backgrounds. When a director uses nonfictional events to support fear, that makes for a film that hits even closer to home for all that watch. It's that same concept with directors such as Jordan Peele; who constantly uses the Black American experience and history to create a raw depth to his films. Hsu did the same with Detention and it compels audiences to keep watching until the film's conclusion.
The characters are interesting enough to push the story outside of the supernatural elements. I enjoyed how the pasts of both characters was connected to how the nightmare version of the school behaved. Especially the mystery behind one character's memory loss.
I'm a fan of the film, that's for sure. I don't think I would play the game but I want to check out the TV show adaption when I have more time.
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