This is under W because of actor Wan Hanafi Su.
Director: Junfeng Boo
Writer: Junfeng Boo (Screenplay) Junfeng Boo, Raymond Phathanavirangoon (Story)
Starring: Firdaus Rahman, Wan Hanafi Su, Mastura Ahmad, Peter Boon Koh, Nickson Cheng, Crispian Chan, Gerald Chew
Plot: Inevitably, a transfer to a maximum security prison will eventually challenge the integrity and ethics of a young correctional officer on his way to become a chief executioner.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Apprentice starts as Aiman (Rahman) takes a job at a maximum-security prison, he treats the prisoners with respect, helping them through their day. Aiman is taken under the wing of experienced guard Rahim (Su) who teaches him what it is like working in this prison.
Rahim is slowly preparing Aiman to take over as the chief executioner, a role he does feel conflicted about taking, one he starts to learn the lack of humanity about.
Thoughts on Apprentice
Characters & Performances – Aiman is a young security guard that has been working in prisoners for a while, the latest transfer will see him move to a death-row prison, a place where he starts off continuing his style, he soon finds his past catching up with him and when he learns what he is being prepared for, he isn’t ready for this new career. Aiman does get to show just how difficult the job he could find himself doing will be. Firdaus Rahman does give us a character that is conflicted, his work will help us understand just how difficult his character’s life would have been. Rahim is the man that is the chief executioner that is taking Aiman under his wing, he is looking to show him how to get through the transition into the role to replace him, it does feel like he has seen many people try to take this role before, getting tired of seeing people walk away. Wan Hanafi Su brings us a character that looks like he is tired of his life, his job and needs to pass on what he has been working through before getting consumed by it.
Story – The story here follows a new prison guard who finds himself being groomed to take over as the chief executioner, a role he isn’t prepared for and his past is only going to make his career choice more difficult. This is a story that will look into the deeper moral questions about being an executioner, showing us how being the prison guard can be the easy side of the role, showing the humanity against someone who hasn’t followed the law. It shows how conflicted it will be to become the one that pulls the trigger for ending a life.
Themes – Apprentice is a drama that is focusing on seeing how someone could be affected in a role they never could have imagined, with the prison backdrop showing us what the prison would be like.
Final Thoughts – Apprentice is a powerful drama that will show the big change in one persons life.
