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Apprentice

2016115 minMidcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Director
Junfeng Boo
Starring
Wan Hanafi Su, Peter Boon Koh, Firdaus Rahman, Mastura Ahmad

When ambitious young correctional officer Aiman is transferred to the country's highest-security prison, he catches the attention of the seasoned chief executioner Rahim. Aiman's desire to become the hangman's apprentice is not only professional but born of an unspeakable urge to reconnect with a past that haunts him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Apprentice?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Apprentice to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Apprentice?

Apprentice earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Apprentice worth watching?

Apprentice's Midcredits score is the 71st percentile of all films, from 3.6K ratings across 6 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

71st percentile

Better received than 71% of films

73rd percentile among Drama71st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)75th
Approval (how many liked it)65th

69 /100

75th percentile of all films

78th percentile among Drama74th percentile among 2010s

Critics 77 · Audience 68

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.7 — solid but not unanimous.

59% liked it

65th percentile of all films

65th percentile among Drama65th percentile among 2010s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 63%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 3 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

66th percentile

3.6K ratings across platforms

68th percentile among Drama69th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 29% in 30 days

Box office

Domestic gross$2.6K
Worldwide gross$61K

29th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • unflinching portrait of the executioner's psychological toll
  • subtle, layered performances by both leads
  • avoids clichés and political preaching, stays human

Detractors panned

  • protagonist's motivation feels underdeveloped and illogical
  • ending is unsatisfying and contrived

What stands out

ActingDivisive82

compelling, nuanced performances from Firdaus Rahman and Wan Hanafi Su

Atmosphere78

immersive, grim world of prison and execution block

Originality78

fresh perspective on executioner's world, avoids prison drama tropes

Tension76

mounting dread as Aiman learns the ropes

CharactersDivisive75

Aiman's inner conflict between revulsion and attraction to executioner role

Emotional impactDivisive75

evokes compassion, frustration, and sorrow

Plot and storyDivisive68

simple revenge setup evolves into complex psychological drama

EndingDivisive58

ambiguous, slightly contrived finale divides opinion

Watch experience

What is Apprentice like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want every question answered.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Institutional

Themes

  • Guilt
  • Forgiveness

Story

  • Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.

What it asks of you

  • Even-paced
  • Engaged
  • Heavy
  • Ambiguous

The answer rests on this: Feelings

  • Tense
  • Melancholic
  • Contemplative

Style

  • Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
  • Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.

The answer rests on this: How it leaves you

  • Thought-provoking
  • Haunting
ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

Heaviest: late
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film maintains a straight-faced, controlled seriousness throughout, never undercutting its heavy subject with irony.
The rideThe film builds from routine prison work to the moral climax of the execution, with the emotional weight concentrated in the finale.
StructureThe story follows a linear trajectory from Aiman's transfer through his training to the final choice.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Why it leaves you this wayThe film's moral ambiguity and the final twist leave a lingering unease and persistent questions about justice and duty.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA young prison guard confronts his traumatic past and moral boundaries as he trains to become the executioner who killed his father.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% (this title) · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Guilt · 3% of filmsForgiveness · 1% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeA young prison guard grapples with his past and his conscience as he trains to become the hangman who executed his father.
StanceThe film questions the morality of capital punishment and the personal cost on those who carry it out, without offering a clear verdict.

The world

AmbientOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Alexander Zekke
Settinga maximum security prison in an unnamed Southeast Asian country
MusicThe score likely underscores the somber, tense atmosphere without dominating scenes.

Content guide

Is Apprentice okay for kids?

As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (67/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at severe (100/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at severe (100/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • UK15
  • SingaporeM18
Overall
Severe · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
Severe
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (5 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Apprentice have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Apprentice?

Cast

Wan Hanafi Su
as Rahim
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Peter Boon Koh
as James
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Firdaus Rahman
as Aiman
Mastura Ahmad
as Suhaila
Nickson Cheng
as Joseph
Crispian Chan
as Randy
Gerald Chew
as Hock
Ong Chao Hong
as Death Row Officer
Sean Tobin
as John
Delon Tan
as Twin

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Apprentice?

Movies like Apprentice include Dead Man Walking (1995), Instinct (1999) and Wasteman (2025). Of the 9 closest matches, most are prison dramas, and several are films about law enforcement.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 9 share its world: life inside an institution. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Apprentice?

682 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: prison drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.