Good movie but grossly overrated

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This may not be the best, or even a great, Singaporean film, storywise, plotwise and acting-wise. (Instead of the film telling a smooth or uninterrupted story, what you get are a series of vignettes of the boys' lives more or less linked by the last subject matter touched on in the previous sub-plot. The acting seem stunted at times, yet the "actors" themselves seem remarkably unaffected by the cameras trained on them.) However, it remains an important local film in being one of the few which does not shy away from stark portrayals of certain sections of society, in this case, a particular group of disaffected youth. That it is internationally acclaimed makes me proud as a Singaporean, but what makes me prouder is the fact someone actually made this film in a society where such topics are preferred swept under the rug, not just by the authorities, but by the population in general.This is definitely not a Jack Neo-style movie, where criticism is veiled and locally-sensitive topics discussed in a non-provoking manner. (Which is probably why his movies, even though subtly critical of the government and its policies, are not banned or even censored.) This is in-your-face, MTV-style. I enjoy Jack Neo movies, but sometimes you need something like this to take you out of the comfort zone.

An excellent film, 15 does a great job showing a side of Singapore most people never see. While some viewers might object to the violence and graphic scenes of self-mutilation, the reality behind every scene had a lasting impression on me. Director Royston Tan should be commended for this haunting look into the lives of these five teenagers. The film shows us that even people on the fringes of society still desire the same love and companionship we all do, these boys only have each other and their friendship is enough to get them through. I had the opportunity to see this film when it was playing in New York and hope the rest of the country gets a chance to see it. Bravo!

This is one of my favourite movies. Can't wait 'til I can buy it. It is a chockingly beautiful movie, the colours and the camera angles and everything is perfect. It is so close, everytime the actors cut their wrists or try to press down a condom full of pills in their throat, it feels like they're doing it to me.Even the violence is beautiful. I don't mean kill bill-violence, but in some way the director makes everything seem so realistic but at the same time extraordinary. I don't know how else to describe it.This is true beauty. See it!

I've seen the short and it was truly great, so I went to see the feature-length version with great expectations. I was totally disappointed.The first section is actually the short version, where the story of the 3 friends unfolds, but then the director focuses on 1 protagonist. I guess he might not be able to get the other 2 actors to 'complete' the story.Shaun as the only one remaining acted quite well, but the story would've been much better if it explored deeper into his love-hate relationship with Vynn. The movie fell flat on several scenes because the director just couldn't build the story based on Shaun alone. He introduced 2 new characters but they really couldn't help much.I guess Royston should've just left the short alone until he managed to build a stronger plot. All in all, 15 is a heart-warming short film, but a disappointing feature-length.