DETENTION is a new Taiwanese Netflix horror series that should have a very global appeal. Both because it has a very universal story (and yes, familiar), but also because it's off to a pretty goddamn good start.

Episode 1 also has a very basic, but highly effective, type of torture that definitely made me look away. Huh! Yikes!

Season 1 has eight episodes of 1 hour that are published weekly. Or rather, two episodes are released each week, so on December 26, the final two episodes will air.

A classic horror series

In many ways, Detention is a very classic horror series. Perfect for Netflix since it will reach exactly the huge audience that it needs to. Since this is from Taiwan, Netflix offers the perfect vehicle to get this horror series to all corners of the globe. Over the summer, Netflix also released a horror movie from Taiwan that worked pretty well.

We’re dealing with lots of teenagers in Detention which immediately gives it a universal feel. After all, teenagers with hormones and rebellious ways are (at least somewhat) similar all over the world; Some are following the rules while others are questioning what the adults are telling them.

No matter their trust (or lack thereof) in authorities, they will soon discover that there is definitely more to this world than meets the eye. The horror elements are utilized in some very efficient ways that should work for most horror fans!


Watch season 1 of Detention now!

The Detention series has three directors attached (according to IMDb) and these are Shiang-An Chuang, Iling Lin, and Yi-Hsuan Su. This Netflix horror series was made in collaboration with Public Television Service in Taiwan. It’s based on the video game of the same name which was developed by Red Candle Games.

While this is definitely a horror series of the supernatural variety, the circumstance in the series is grounded in the very real world. Political oppression is evident and brutal which is yet another reason to watch it. We could probably all do with knowing more about the history of other countries – as well as the country you reside in yourself.

If the thought of anything political being part of your supernatural horror series rubs you the wrong way, then don’t worry, you can easily ignore this. However, I would argue that horror movies (especially those with supernatural elements) always comment on real-world issues. Detention simply follows perfectly in line with this tradition.

Plot

Detention: The Series starts at Greenwood High School in the 1990s. Yunxiang Liu (played by Lingwei Lee), a transfer student, steps into the forbidden area on the campus by accident, where she encounters the ghost of Ruixin Fang (Ning Han). Fang later unveils the hidden history and trauma over the past 30 years, and how a group of young students and teachers were persecuted as they fought for freedom in the era of censorship. Their stories keep coming back to the school like haunting nightmares, waiting to be told and revealed.

Detention premiered on Netflix with its two first episodes on December 5, 2020.