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The Siege at Thorn High (2025) Movie Review

Violence over substance In the past, Chinese Indonesian people who lived in Indonesia used to suffer a lot of social and governmental discrimination. Although the same prejudice exists today, the situation has improved. The Siege at Thorn High makes us view a world where, instead, discrimination has only gotten higher, worsening the lives of many people. Edwin, the protagonist, her sister, and a friend were attacked in the middle of a riot against Chinese Indonesian citizens in the early 2000s. His sister was beaten and raped by a group of men, while their parents died during another attack on the same day. Now, almost two decades later, Edwin still fights the scars from that day. Right before his sister's passing, she asks him to find her son, whom she has only a few clues about. That takes the protagonist to Thorn High, a school for delinquents. The movie explores an important and grounded message about racism, and you feel it not only in the story but also in the scenarios. We see protests happening, discriminatory posters, and racist graffiti on the subway walls. The protagonist walks with a cap, clearly uncomfortable and trying to hide his face. However, that isn't enough to protect him from a world that hates him, which becomes clearer when he starts teaching at Thorn High. The students wear their discrimination on their sleeves, always messing with him and calling him names. Not to mention when they are actually violent towards Chinese people. There's also a very nice detail, a bar that the protagonist frequents, known as a Chinese pub in town. That's very common for communities that suffer that kind of discrimination. It's more than a place to find like-minded people. It's their haven. And that's why it's sad that these details vanish from the movie little by little. The setting always surrounds the characters, but the visual elements get weaker. The movie also barely adds anything new to its message. The 'family drama' aspect steals the spotlight and becomes the real plot. But there's one thing that takes center stage in The Siege at Thorn High: the violence. What we see at the start is only a sign of what's to come later. We see many scenes of people trying to attack Edwin, other Chinese Indonesian citizens, and others. The brutality of the situation becomes far more important than what it has to say. At one point in the middle of the movie, a group of racist students tries to attack Edwin and a few other characters, forcing them to hide in a room for their safety. From then on, there are many torture and death scenes. However, the shock value is more important than making you feel sad for the characters. The deaths don't impact you on an emotional level. They are there just to make your jaw drop for a few seconds, and the movie soon jumps to the next shocking event. And, although you can feel the rising tension, the film can't entertain you enough to justify the characters being stuck for so long. That's where a more heartfelt effort could've improved things. Nonetheless, at least the action still delivers. So, we get a few exciting scenes out of the violence and deaths, mainly when the characters manage to escape. The movie hits a good stride again and makes us feel like the tension has stakes. The plot twist about Edwin's nephew is a double-edged sword. On one side, it's predictable from the start. And even when it tries to mislead us, it's an awful attempt that doesn't make any sense. Still, it adds something new to the message. After other aspects overshadow the message and the political plot, it's good to see it back. It's a shame that it doesn't have enough time to develop it further, as it happens in the film's final minutes. The Siege at Thorn High is a fun and quite interesting flick. When it focuses on its strengths, it's impactful and keeps your eyes glued to the screen. However, when it doesn't, it's incredibly shallow and barely entertaining. The two sides of the movie often fight to overshadow each other and rarely mix well. Read More: The Siege at Thorn High Ending Explained