We Not Naughty

Chen Weijie [Shawn Lee] is a bright but underestimated student at the International Technological Polytechnic (ITP). Alongside Damien Liu Jianren [Joshua Ang], he defies the label of being “dumb” by demonstrating a natural talent for designing and building gadgets that fit into their tracks: Design and Technology, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Damien comes from a wealthy, single-parent home and is estranged from his mother Cynthia Phua and younger brother Amos Liu, a fluent English speaker. His personal turmoil drags him into a risky world: he joins a local street gang of loan sharks and becomes a loan shark runner, eventually bringing Chen Weijie into the operation, where their skills are put to work painting, spraying, and composing threats for the gang. The two friends are drawn deeper into crime, while Weijie’s father, Mr. Chen, is a taxi driver and compulsive gambler who vacillates between affection and desperation, often fleeing from dangerous loan sharks. The family’s tensions mount as his younger sister Nicole Chen—academically gifted but pampered—becomes entangled in a serious cyberbullying case and later becomes a victim of bullying herself.

Meanwhile, CK Liew [Daniel Chan Hiu-Tung] arrives as the students’ new form teacher and as the mentor for their Design and Technology, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering course. An energetic, hopeful educator, he struggles to connect with the group at first. He challenges them to a radio-controlled helicopter race, and if he loses, he vows to run nude in front of the class. The students triumph, and his promise is fulfilled, sparking controversy that becomes national news. Yet his bold approach earns the students’ respect, and the school board decides he can continue teaching the program, a decision that shapes the road ahead for everyone involved.

The storyline takes a sharp turn when one of Weijie and Damien’s inventions falls into the hands of criminals led by the street gang boss Ma [Eric Moo] and a crime boss figure who presides over the operation. The group—together with CK Liew [Daniel Chan Hiu-Tung], Mrs. Liew [Cherry Hsia], and Cynthia Phua—travels to Johor Bahru with a dangerous mission: to use the invention to carry a large sum of money that is actually drugs, entrusted to their former gang associates who betray them. The scheme unfolds near the Singapore–Malaysia border, and Boss Ma, Ah Qiang, and the other gang members close in. As the tension peaks, Mrs. Liew [Cherry Hsia] suffers an injury, and the team must keep going while Nicole Chen’s perilous situation looms in the background.

In a tense sequence, the young protagonists and their allies confront the danger head-on. They race against time to avoid a deadly trap, and in a pivotal moment, they cross paths with a family member in need—Mrs. Liew is delivering a baby, and the stakes become deeply personal. Weijie and Damien must help the midwife-to-be while also aligning with law enforcement to ensure everyone’s safety. The Royal Malaysia Police step in to arrest Boss Ma, Ah Qiang, and the other gang members, and the operations lead to the hospital as the team recovers from the ordeal. In the aftermath, CK Liew, Mrs. Liew, and Cynthia Phua are kept under medical care, while Weijie and Damien reflect on how their choices have altered the lives of their families.

The story culminates in a powerful recognition of creativity and courage. Weijie [Shawn Lee] and Damien [Joshua Ang] are celebrated as national heroes for their innovation, winning a national science creativity and innovation competition for their radio-controlled helicopter and earning additional honors from the Singapore Police Force. Their journey—from being underestimated students to becoming catalysts for change and accountability—offers a look at ambition, responsibility, and the lasting impact of mentorship, cooperation, and family bonds. The film closes on a note of resilience and possibility, underscored by the support that empowers young inventors to turn risk into reform and danger into opportunity.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:49