15: The Life and Death of Philip Knight (1993 TV Movie) User Reviews

Based in a true story

[JonnyRainbow · 8/10 · 3 October 2006]

Philip Knight was a juvenile delinquent who tragically took his own life on 12th of July 1990, whilst incarcerated at HMP Swansea.

Philip was aged just 15 and at the time was the youngest person to kill himself in prison in the UK. Sadly since then two boys of 14 have committed Suicide whist in penal custody in this country.

The Knight case became something of a landmark and was documented in this TV film of 1993. Shown on ITV.

Daniel Newman, probably best known for his role as Wulf, in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and Spiller, in the BBC TV adaptation of The Borrowers, is compelling in the title roll.

At times uneasy viewing, this deserves some sort of re-release on DVD, or on one of the many ITV channels we have these days.

Extremely accurate depiction

[coleyemde · 8/10 · 30 November 2019]

Having worked in the foster care system, I can attest to the accuracy of this movie. I'm not certain of the director and/or writer's connections to this area but it was obviously exceptionally well researched. I could literally follow along a path of this happening even this many years later, as Philip Knight and I would be the same age, and in different countries where the foster care and adoption system may be a little different but not very much according to this. My only negative is the freaking music in the background.

memorable film.

[dmg1409 · 8/10 · 26 December 2011]

I watched this film years ago when i was a teenage.

The film is definitely memorable.

Daniel Newman was VERY convincing.

Would like to see the film again.

I definitely think it should be released on DVD.

or at least repeated on TV again.

It is very hard hitting in parts.

Shocking to think that anyone of 15 could go through something so bad as to take their own life,

if you like watching true to life films this is definitely one for the scrapbook.

Outstanding

[akingcomshare · 10/10 · 17 February 2019]

I just finished watching this 1993 TV movie via Amazon Prime. I have never felt compelled to write a movie review until now. Daniel Newman was absolutely phenomenal. Despite my 48 years of movie viewing, I can only recall being so thoroughly absorbed in and emotionally moved by one other actor (Emily Watson - Breaking the Waves). I cannot believe his acting career ended in 2009, though I imagine doing anything for nineteen years is commendable. I highly recommend this movie, not only for highlighting the complexities and barriers to helping at-risk youth, but also because Daniel's performance was deeply affecting. If I failed to mention the supporting actors vital contribution to the film, I would be remiss.

very effective very depressing

[deadbull-95171 · 26 November 2020]

A grim indictment of social services. This happened almost 30 years ago. My own experience with medical services, corporate clinics, insurance companies, etc. and other stuff related and best unmentioned, show that far from getting better, and I mean in the USA, we are already in ruinous times to be human being, and poised for things to become totally catastrophic. Utter indifference, self interest, fund misappropriation, case volume, "case workers" who are indifferent at best, and deeply murderously sadistic at worst are the order of the day. It was like this well before covid19, which is used as the scapegoat by all the guilty parties. Although we have , statistically 18 times more prisons and prisoners then any other country on earth, here in the land of the free, what is coming will make the already insane numbers vastly worse. We can expect a huge increase in suicides. The virus and the automation that has dehumanized and unemployed the planet, ids also going to end up driving most of the population into rags, violence, extreme mental and physical illness, and ugly death.