15: The Movie Image
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

  • Summary: The adventure of five fifteen year old boys in Singapore: estranged to every social reference, except for that of appearance and close friendships, they live their lives distant from their families and school, passing their days in a complete state of indolence in the search of experiences, at times even physically painful (tattoos, piercing, wounds). (Picture This! Entertainment) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    80
    It's not a pretty picture, but it's an important one.
  2. 75
    The feature debut by hot, young Singapore director Royston Tan, 15, is a descent into hell -- a hell inhabited by five scuzzy 15-year-old boys whose world, as one puts it, "only consists of darkness."
  3. Reviewed by: Joshua Katzmann
    60
    Directing real-life street kids, Tan abruptly shifts focus from one character to another, as if mimicking their impatience and short attention span, and like Godard he playfully subverts his own material by having actors address the camera directly, spouting cultural and political asides.
  4. Reviewed by: David Ng
    30
    The collision of neorealist casting with in-your-face visual pyrotechnics is jarring to say the least, and 15 quickly wears down the viewer with its barrage of strobe effects and attention-deficit editing.

See all 6 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Negative: 2 out of 5
  1. DickH.
    10
    Great.
  2. DarylC.
    5
    15 is a paradox. It is flawed, and is ironically superficial. However, it is also decidedly important for such a flawed film, as Tan attempts to make a film which discusses bold and controversial topics, marking an important step in the development of Singapore's film industry and exploring Singapore's censorship issues. Expand
  3. MalcomM.
    0
    Quite painful to watch as it must be painful for these young real rebellious kids to act. The in-your-face and hardcore directing of one of the loser kids forcefully swallowing/ gulping a load of ecstacy drugs in a small bag in order to pass thru security, shot in one take, including saliva and phlegm and all things fluid out from nose and mouth, says it all quite disgustingly and nasty. Bold and unconventional for sure, but just not inspiring, especially in close-up. Go figure. The movie moves at snail's pace too. In summary, boring to the core. Even the reviews that rate it moderately seem overated. Expand
  4. RogerT.
    0
    Bland, boring and way over-rated.

See all 5 User Reviews