In 1962 Taiwan during the White Terror martial law period, Fang Ray Shin, a female student at the hillside Greenwood High School is attending counseling with teacher Mr. Chang, and they gradually fall in love. It was a dangerous period where sensitive books were banned and free speech were restricted, Mr. Chang secretly organized a study group for banned books, together with fellow teacher Miss Yin and male student Wei Chong Ting.
Starring: Gingle Wang, Meng-Po Fu, and Jing-Hua Tseng
Directed by: John Hsu
Written by: Shih-Keng Chien
A Fantasia International Film Festival Review
“Detention” creates a creepy atmosphere similar to “Silent Hill,” and somehow manages to weave a beautiful love story in the middle of all the madness. It starts with what might seem like a military base, but is really a high school. While there are teachers present, there are also soldiers making sure that certain books and free speech are banned. Everything is strictly monitored, but a small group manages to secretly read these banned books. This book club wants to do what students are meant to do, which is to learn, but something happens to change their lives forever.
Fang Ray Shin (Gingle Wang) isn’t a part of this club, but has found herself at the center of the story. She wakes up in what is another reality. It’s her school covered in darkness, and haunted by a giant creature. People are no longer who they were, including an eerie figure that looks like her. She does get help from fellow student Wei Chong-Ting (Jing-Hua Tseng), who has also found himself there. As the two try to find a way out, the audience is treated to how the book club was discovered, and what love has to do with it.
The military like school presents a bad vibe to start, and it only gets worse in the alternate reality. One of the scariest things about “Silent Hill” is the Pyramid Head guy who walks around with a giant sword. There’s also a pretty creepy creature who lurks this school that no one will want to see. As it should be, the final scene in an auditorium tops off the creepiness. With bodies all around the room, Fang is pushed to the brink with her fate on the line in both worlds.
As this story begins it never seems like this would turn into a love story. However, it’s carefully crafted in the middle of all the madness. Fang was in love with her teacher, Mr. Chang (Meng-Po Fu), and we know teachers shouldn’t get involved with students. It’s their love, jealousy, and a special set circumstances that puts this all in motion. It will probably shock the audience when they see the actually set of events that happened, and how the book club was found out. When the cloud of darkness is lifted there’s a very touching ending.
With no knowledge of the game that “Detention” is based on it’s hard to guess how closely they followed it. Regardless, they certainly paint a picture similar to another movie based on a game, “Silent Hill.” They start off with some darkness, and scares before moving into a mystery about how the book club was discovered by the military. Before the audience knows it, they’ll witness a love story enter the picture, and reveal the answer to this mystery. After a very exciting and dramatic third act plays out, it all ends pulling on the audience’s heart strings one more time. I’m not usually one for love stories mixed with my horror, but I appreciated watching this mystery unfold. And just like my obsession with the Pyramid Head guy in “Silent Hill,” I quickly developed my own love story with the mirror faced creature in this film. With that, hopefully I won’t get detention for giving it 3.5 pools of blood!
HorrO
“Detention” is playing as part of the Fantasia 2020 Virtual Festival.
More info about this film at: http://promotehorror.com/2020/08/13/focus-on-fantasia-2020-detention/
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