The Place For The Latest Movie Reviews
Cast: John Rubinstein, William Mapother, Rob Kerkovich
In the fall of 1976, a small psychology lab in Pennsylvania became the unwitting home to the only government-confirmed case of possession. The U.S. military assumed control of the lab under orders of national security and, soon after, implemented measures aimed at weaponizing the entity. The details of the inexplicable events that occurred are being made public after remaining classified for nearly forty years.
"The Atticus Institute" is billed a found footage, documentary style film about possession. Of course the story is fictional but if it were not for the recognizable cast I might of googled the name to see if it really happened. The story is about Henry West, a young doctor who worked along side other scientists at the Atticus Institute. The facility was used to study and test people who might have E.S.P or psychokinesis like abilities. The story is told in footage, stills and interviews from everyone involved including scientists and family members. The film is a bit slow at first while it sets up the story and introduces us to its characters. But once the test subject, Judith Winstead arrives things begin to pick up. The scientists are not prepared nor are they equipped to handle Judith. But once the military is called in things quickly escalate as they try and weaponize what is inside Judith.
I am not going to go into anymore plot details here because I do not want to ruin what happens for those wanting to check the film out but I will tell you that this is an excellent film that is smart, clever and well written. It is thought provoking as well, I could see this happening in real life if the military were to get involved in something like this. The film is also creepy, intense and unsettling and it gets more and more so the longer the story goes.
Another thing that made the film so good was the cast, each and everyone did a fantastic job playing their roles. It was a big reason the story seemed so believable. I cannot finish off this review without tipping my hat to Writer/Director, Chris Sparling who set out to make a film that would have the audience thinking it was real and he accomplished just that.
I am not going to say that "The Atticus Institute" is the best film in its genre but I will say that it is a highly entertaining film. If you are a fan of horror I recommend checking this out. Available on DVD and Blu-ray with Special Features that include:
Deleted Scenes
Making Of
You can order the DVD HERE and the Blu-ray HERE..
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
*** 3/4 Out Of *****