23:59 (2011) User Reviews

23:59: Wasted potential

[Platypuschow · 4/10 · 24 December 2018]

This Singaporean horror has a concept and simply doesn't make best use of it. The movie starts strong but quickly stumbles into mediocrity.

It tells a story set on a military base about a group of young recruits and the supernatural events that transpire on and around the base.

It looks fantastic, considerably better than I would have expected and the writing is well above par as well. Sadly though it manages to be creepy in places the story is a bit of an incoherent mess and by around the half way mark it quickly becomes apparent that it isn't going anywhere good.

The ideas behind it though solid were clearly in the wrong peoples hands and instead of potential being met we have this messy little feature.

Watchable but ultimately fails on most fronts.

The Good:

Couple of nice ideas

Production values

The Bad:

Plot falls apart badly

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

It's not just Japan that likes their muddled inconclusive plots

Better than its budget.

[dloutman · 5/10 · 29 December 2018]

The overall look of the film is good, actors are consistent and both sound and photography are better than films with such a small budget usually are. Pace and timing are its main failings but I think the local audiences were probably willing to overlook that.

Countdown to midnight madness

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 17 May 2019]

Jump scares and all that. Is that something you look forward to? The story itself is intriguing to a degree. But overall this is as generic as you probably expect it to be. Now that is not necessarily a bad thing. But it also is not something that will challenge anyone who has seen a couple of movies (especially in the horror genre of course).

Acting is not a strong suit either, but the movie does more or less satisfy if you set a low bar and just want a snack. Not all movies have to be exceptional or fantastic. If you can dig that, watch it, if not you may feel this being a waste of time

Starts well,ends on a low note

[Otte1 · 3/10 · 21 April 2020]

Has a nice creepy factor to start with but quickly goes downhill. The middle and end of the movie you have trouble realizing what is happening or what is even the plot at all. Editing and pacing is definitely off after 15 minutes, almost like they ran out of budget and had to get to the finish line. Several of the main actors seemed like cardboard caricatures.

Army horror turn lame

[kbechma · 3/10 · 25 December 2018]

As a Singaporean who had served in the army before. I went in to experience the type of movie that can bring back the memories and also some of the folklore of Army horror stories.

I came out of this movie with nothing. Yes, Nothing. The whole movie wasn't even relatable to my army days training. It has had the potential with its realistic setting, but ultimately, the director just wasn't that good at telling a story.

Firstly, we were introduced with a few characters in the army bunk at night, with one guy telling about some horror story that happened in that island. The characters were obnoxious, unrelatable and just bring out the stereotype of a bully in camp, a coward and a few nice who cant be bother with whats happening in the bunk and do nothing.

Basically the entire movie only revolved around 5 recruits and one sergeant. They had the entire bunk filled with extras who dont have much lines at all. In a sense, this makes the entire movie unrealistic, as there were many scenes in the movie where the 5 recruits were always away separated from the bulk of the platoon.

Lets talk about the road march in the jungle, it was probably a bad try at a real road march training in the army. Why would members of the road march start splitting up into literally isolated situations is beyond my belief. There was a scene in which the IC had to run all the way back to no mans land to search for the sergeant. Yes, that sergeant is so far back alone that the IC has to go look for him in the dark.

That scene in which they made a headcount in the dark as well, was quite frankly a terrible attempt. I think "incredible tales did a better job." And that scene was just did with 5 recruits in pretty much visible lighting. I understand the director was trying to let his viewers see the entire play of it and trying to make it like the actors could not see each other when they did the headcount. But seriously, that was a really bad attempt. No one does headcount with 5 person, maybe a platoon of 30, with an extra headcount would have made it more realistic and scary.

Overall, a very budget movie, who can afford to bring in Mark Lee and those extras, but chose to just focus the movie around a small group in an Army situation just makes no sense. The scares are also few are scarce.

I

POOR EXECUTION

[kmizanfauzi · 1/10 · 17 July 2021]

I honestly do not know how i manage to sit through the the whole movie. Cannot really pinpoint whether it is its messy storyline or poor depiction of militrary life that was really excrutiating.

The movie in general did not have a real focus throughout. The plots were all over the places you'd end up trying to figure out what was the focal point of the story. There was an onimnous vibe in general and several goosebumps moments but thats about it.

The director/producer really did a bad job doing research on military/army life. The attempt to set the movie during the bootcamp period was simply horrific. It bothered me so much. As a military personel (Royal Malaysian Navy) that had a fair share of experience going through bootcamp, cannot help but shake my head and grin at the meagre representation of bootcamp. The seargent was wearing a wig (far from the military standard haircut) and even the officer was rocking a straight up civillian/celebrity haircut. The recruits were supposed to go on route march/long march which was supposed to be the climax/highlight of your bootcamp and somehow they were chilling like a walk in a park.

Gotta give it to Henley Hii (jeremy) though. He basically carried the whole movie on his shoulder. Too bad evey other aspects of the movie did do much help. Luckily he avenged himself being in a movie as impactful as PASKAL.

A good change.

[zeuspredator · 5/10 · 18 May 2012]

A good change from Singaporian production house .. but some how or rather the Singaporian English is just too obvious. You can spot it by hearing closely that the slang when the actor speaks in the dialog.

The ghost is just based on stories or more like folklore tell tail. the plot build up is not that strong and there are many loose ends that is just not explainable. perhaps asking the audience to guess.

but overall its a brave approach by the director to move to new genre of movie. Singapore normally is known for drama or light comedy and to present the audience with a ghost story now that what i call changes.

You will wait in vain for something that never happens...

[paul_haakonsen · 2/10 · 11 November 2016]

I think this was actually the first Singaporean movie that I have had the chance to watch. And with that being said, I must admit that I am not off to a good start. "23:59" turned out to be a really boring and uneventful horror movie.

The story takes place on an isolated island on a military base and in a small rural community around the military base. There are local tales and legends being told about gruesome murders having taken place on the island, where bad things happen at exactly 23:59.

Right, well I will say that the story must have worked out quite well on paper, because I must admit that there was potential, and there were some good aspects to the story and the ideas behind it all.

However, it was just butchered at the hands of director Gilbert Chan, as the movie ended up being a grimy mess of a scrambled storyline filled with characters that you didn't care one bit for. And it was perhaps because the characters were either devoid of personalities and had the appeal of wet cardboard, or they were grossly caricatures of bullies or pranksters.

And it didn't really help much that the build ups for scary moments throughout the entire movie never climaxes in any kind of satisfying way for the audience - especially if you are accustomed to Asian horror. There were so many moments where the scares were being served on a silver platter to the director, but he just failed to pick up on it and deliver something worthwhile to the audience.

As for the acting in the movie, well some of the cast were doing good jobs with the limitations of the script and story, while others were abysmal, and lead you to wonder how they got cast in the first place.

The movie is slow-paced and it literally takes forever (read one hour and eighteen minutes) to take you nowhere. I was hoping that the movie would pick up pace all throughout the entire course of the movie, but that just didn't happen.

When there was something scary on the screen, it just wasn't scary. Perhaps I am too seasoned to horror and Asian horror, but it just wasn't scary at any point throughout the entire movie.

There are some really good and memorable horror movies on the Asian movie market, "23:59" just wasn't one of them. I managed to sit through the entire movie, but can in all honesty say that I will not be watching it a second time around.

Nice and creepy

[Vastarien202-667-582742 · 7/10 · 28 May 2013]

I had no expectations going into this one, and was pleasantly surprised.

The film is set on an Army training base in the Seventh Month, when ghosts and spirits are said to roam free. There are all types of rituals to appease and avoid them, which most people take part in even if they don't seem to believe.

A new group of recruits is just about to finish their training there when things begin to go wrong. I won't go into detail because I want people to see this for themselves, but I will say that there are vengeful spirits, wrongful deaths, and lots of creepy atmosphere! The rainy jungle march is one of the best scenes! One of the group is missing, and the instructor has them count off "one...two..three..four..." Something right behind them whispers "fffiiivveee"....

The movie does move a bit slowly at times, but I was never bored. The acting was fine, and the characters were likable enough that I cared about them and what was happening to them. Give this one a chance, you won't be sorry!

Worst Horror Movie Ever

[sheldoncm · 1/10 · 11 August 2018]

Being Singaporean, thought it would be good to watch a nice good local horror movie since all the hype before the movie's premiere.

Half way through the movie I asked myself why did I ever want to torture myself by watching this really stupid horror film. It's not at all scary with such a stupid story line.

Please please do not waste time or money watching this rubbish movie. 5 of us went feeeling stupid after the movie ended.

A thoughtful Asian ghost story.

[suite92 · 8/10 · 12 October 2013]

Young soldiers who speak Chinese share ghost stories about the minute before midnight.

Tan is the designated weak member in the group and receives a lot of static for it. He gets tied up and stuffed into a locker in the middle of the night. Bullying in Asia. No surprises.

Jeremy tries to help Tan through the military training course. The endless references to ghosts and past suicides keeps Tan on a downward mood. Jeremy tries to steer him away from this thought pattern, since Jeremy's early childhood included some fakery in the profession of mediums. This is the setting when the last, worst, road march through the jungle is undertaken.

Tan gets lost. His pack is found, and the sergeant tells the recruits to go look for him. It starts raining. They find his body; Jeremy thinks he sees a woman watching.

The sergeant tries to blame the supernatural for the loss of Tan. This captain will not have it.

The recruits are uneasy the following night in the barracks. Jeremy thinks he sees Tan's ghost, for instance. Making matters worse, the next morning Jeremy receives word that his father passed away. The next day, while out walking, Jeremy sees an old woman gesturing to him silently; Lim and Dragon do not. That evening Chester starts banging his head against the lockers, then speaking in a weird voice.

They bring in a priest for Chester; the rites seem to help a bit. Chester shows Jeremy where he and Tan had a strange experience. Something had grabbed Tan's leg and Chester had beaten it off with his rifle butt.

Jeremy's dream about Chester dying comes true soon enough. Jeremy meets the two principal characters from a couple of the ghost stories told early in the film. Dragon, Lim, and the sergeant find Jeremy, but do not see the ghosts themselves.

Jeremy returns home, and the gift he thought he never had lets him see his dead father.

The movie jump shifts forward in time, and the ghost story cycle starts again.

-----Scores------

Cinematography: 8/10 A bit bland, but always competent.

Sound: 8/10 A bit bland, but always competent. It was loud enough for a Chinese speaker to understand, and perhaps a quarter of the conversation is in English. The subtitles were fine.

Acting: 10/10 Wonderful.

Screenplay: 8/10 Moves along well.

Not a bad little film

[maggiewalker4265 · 6/10 · 6 January 2021]

To the Western audience this may seem strange or slow or lacking in the frights. It certainly isn't big budget at all. However the basic storyline is good. I think it suffers a bit in translation culturally but on the whole it is a really good effort for a very low budget. The concept was superb and if more money had v-been utilised I think it would have improved the outcome. I don't mean doing the big Hollywood thing either as that gets done to the point where many films are just ridiculous.

dont watch 23.59, waste of money

[farah-53701 · 1/10 · 9 August 2018]

Genre states as horror. but there isnt a lot of horror scenes but a lot of lame sex scenes. not scary at all, just a lot of suspense. to me its really a budget movie.

Short and sweet

[Highcritic-95845 · 5/10 · 20 June 2021]

Overall the movie is not bad, the only downside is they never explain why the ghost wants both Tan and Chester to be dead. Stella's has a very minor role in the movie, could've been better if her character can be developed further.

Plodding and boring

[okpilak · 3/10 · 23 November 2022]

The movie sets up the basis for the spirits, but in two ways, and then throws in a third. One is that a villager was killed in the past by a recruit, so at 23:59 its spirit comes forth. The other is that if a pregnant woman commits suicide, she and her daughter will come to haunt. And the recruits do see spirits. The movie has a group of recruits in training. There is a suicide, and another one dies under mysterious circumstances, so they are on edge. Their Sgt even provides them with talismans and later a medium is brought in. While all the recruits have similar and short haircuts, the Sgt has a very bushy do, and the officer certainly isn't regulation. That is a detail that should have been trivial to know and fix. The movie is decently done, although if what was shown was reflective of their training, not much of a fighting force. It simply is not that interesting although if one was familiar with the legends, perhaps more so.

Poorly crafted Asian Ghost Story

[Armin_Nikkhah_Shirazi · 4/10 · 3 May 2022]

23:59 tells the tale of some army cadets in training on an island who have the misfortune of running into a local ghost with revenge on her mind.

The strongest points of this film are the the unique army barracks setting (for a ghost story) and the attempt to develop the main character arcs.

A better execution of the basic concept would have given a vicarious experience of what it is like to be an army recruit under these circumstances. The gold standard for this kind of thing in my opinion is FULL METAL JACKET (1987). Unfortunately, this film largely fails on that front.

On the character development front, we have, among others, one character who goes from being a skeptic to a believer in ghosts, and another who goes from being a bully to an empathetic person. Unfortunately, the first seems rather like an endorsement of superstition, and the second failed to be pulled off in a way that seems authentic. At least I still had reservations whether the bully's remorse was sincere. That actor's wooden performance may have contributed to my impression.

Apart from these issues, there is also a problem with the overall structure of the movie. Frequent flashbacks add hints about what had happened, but they are introduced in such a clumsy way that one cannot help but think of them as film-maker contrivances, and that takes us immediately out of the movie. Also, the story becomes more confusing because of the way the film is constructed.

The ghost character is yet another variation on the "Stringy-haired ghost girl" archetype, called onryo, which, it seems, has been milked dry in Asian horror. Perhaps it is worth noting that a Singaporean film availed itself of a ghost originating in Japanese folklore.

It is really all too bad. The premise is fresh and with better execution could have yielded a decent horror flic. As it stands, this is not a good film.

Local flavour, local taste

[crabcancer · 7/10 · 7 June 2013]

To understand this show, you have to be a local and must have serve NS to know the plot driving it.

This basically deals with the things that all NS men are told or share around the bunk like in the starting scene. Tales and folklores whispered and shared about what they have been told or have overheard etc.

For myself, the suspense build up is good as I can relate to it partially but the final third bit is a bit of a let down when most of the plot is revealed. I feel it would have been better if it was kept in suspense and with glimpses instead of the director/producer trying to tie everything up.

Other reviewers have commented that there are some loose ends. For me, the most obvious is that how the heck did the Sgt and recruits manage to locate the shack.

But in the end, this movie is definitely worth a watch if nothing more then to reminisce about them good old army days!

Good...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 16 January 2022]

It's not bad, but it's far from good, but as I love the curse/haunting horror theme, and alternative films, very pleasant to watch a Singaporean film, some small flaws, made for less demanding cinephiles to trash horror lovers, I liked it ....