Credits

Regie

Tan Siyou

Cast

Ranice Tay, Nicole Lee, Shi-An Lim, Genevieve Tan, Jack Kao

Genre

drama

Speelduur

98 minutes

Land

Singapore, Netherlands, France, Spain, South Korea

Taal

English, Mandarin

Ondertiteling

English

Storyline

Choo, a school dropout, has recently been transferred to an elite, authoritarian all-girls high school in Singapore. Her rebellious attitude instantly bonds her with 3 other misfits in her class—Vanessa, Sofia, and Gina. Together, they secretly form a gang, inspired by stories about the triad gangs that ruled the streets of colonial Singapore and defied the authorities openly. The girls become inseparable to each other, but as graduation approaches and the question of life after school looms, cracks begin to form.

Tan Siyou makes her feature debut with Amoeba—an organism that stands in for a self disconnected from the world around them, surviving by retreating into isolation. At the same time, the film is a striking, humorous coming-of-age film that speaks to those unforgettable friendships formed out of rebelling from the norm; especially in an environment where every action is scrutinised, every gesture of friendship could be an act of defiance.