Cannes 2016: Apprentice review

Apprentice review: Junfeng Boo delivers an exceptional feature that revolves around a young prison officer’s morals as he becomes a death row hangman.

Apprentice review, Cannes Film Festival, 2016.

Apprentice review

Apprentice is a drama revolving around a newly appointed prison guard Aiman, who develops a friendship with an older guard at the maximum security jail, one of the biggest in the territory. He soon discovers that the guard is in fact the prison’s hangman Rahim, one of the most prolific anywhere in the world. Over time, the two develop a friendship and when Rahim’s assistant suddenly resigns, Aiman is given the opportunity to take his place.

Aiman’s sister Suhaila, now his only family member after both of his parents have passed away, is against Aiman’s new career opportunity, especially because of his family history which questions the morality of his new job, which also happens to be a dark secret that he has kept hidden from his new employers as well.

Apprentice review

Apprentice is a very well observed, gritty drama from the young filmmaker Junfeng Boo. The 33-year-old took five years to write the script for Apprentice, immersing himself into research of experienced hangmen, and families of those who have seen relatives executed on death row. The film’s extremely detailed story is clear evidence of this, the talented director slowly laying out a narrative over the film’s tight 100 minutes.

Boo manages to get the most from its talented cast; from the screen veteran Wan Hanafi Su (above), to newcomer Firdaus Rahman who excels as Aiman, the film’s title character. The cinematography is dense and dimly lit from within the walls of the prison, but equally impressive as Benoit Soler skilfully weaves his camera amongst the action; Lee Chatametikool and Natalie Soh‘s impressive editing and Alexander Zekke‘s wonderful score complimenting it massively.

The film’s climax also ends quite perfectly, though Boo somehow manages to leave everything quite open-ended, with more than a couple of questions remaining in your head as you leave.

Apprentice review

Boo is certainly one to watch for the future if this superbly constructed effort is anything to go by. Apprentice is an extremely well researched, very detailed, absorbing trip into a very bleak, untrodden world that impresses all of the way through with its clever story structure, and if you pardon the pun, excellent execution. Highly recommended.

Apprentice review by Paul Heath, Cannes Film Festival 2016.

Apprentice is still awaiting a UK and US release date.