PopHorror Let's Get Scared
A young couple is desperate for a child in award winning playwright Hamza Zaman’s directorial debut, The Institute. This microbudget feature utilizes relatable, pervasive unease and fears to endear its main characters to us. Most of the film’s 90ish minute runtime is a slow burn, but a handful of relatively graphic sex scenes keep it spicy. You’d be forgiven if you thought this was a psychological thriller after watching most of it, but the last fifteen minutes take a hard left into science fiction-inflected horror.
Marie Sullivan (Victorya Brandart: Hustle Down 2021) and her husband, Dan (Ignacyo Matynia: Like Dogs 2021), have exhausted all their options for conception. A harsh final consultation with her doctor (John Easterlin: The Perfect American 2013) leaves Marie defeated. When Dan finds an alternative clinic online, though, the young couple decide to give it one last shot. Leaving NYC behind, they make their way to the isolated rural facility ran by Dr Arthur Lands (Mark Lobene: 2nd Life 2015). Marie quickly buys into the doctor’s unorthodox treatment plan, but Dan’s suspicions are soon aroused. Is Dr. Lands merely an eccentric genius or is there something more sinister going on?
Zaman’s script for The Institute has a laser-like focus on character. Marie and Dan are authentically likable. The first act effectively lets us into their relationship. We can see that they are nice people and that they’re struggling. Of course, this makes the creepy events of the last two-thirds of the flick more impactful. Structure is tight and purposeful. Some might say the sex scenes border on being gratuitous, but I honestly think they lend some momentum to the picture’s quieter stretches. Dialogue is mostly organic, although there are some instances of theatrical flair. This is especially apparent with Dr. Lands, who edges into mad scientist territory. The final act reveal will probably make or break the film for most folks, but I genuinely enjoyed it. I actually wish it would’ve maybe gone even bigger, as I think the contrast in tones makes for an interesting disruption. I’m guessing that budget was a factor, though.
While I wouldn’t say The Institute looks cheap, it’s easy to tell that it likely had a tiny budget. Cinematographer Aram Bauman (Dwellers: the Curse of Pastor Stokes 2019) utilizes clean straightforward shooting to maintain the focus on character and storytelling. There are a few instances of green screen that unfortunately stick out from the otherwise naturalistic visuals. The lab is particularly distracting, and it makes Dr. Lands’ weird radiation device come off as unintentionally campy instead of science fiction-y and cool. For the most part, though, sets and locations are believable and immersive.
Performances are all pretty solid. Brandart and Matynia have great chemistry and carry the picture. I really enjoyed Lobene’s work. It’s more broad, but he brings a certain comic bookiness to the flick that is fun to watch. Watch out for Director Hamza Zaman (Into the Outbreak 2013) in his cameo as a yoga instructor. Frankie Wang and a large gentleman credited as Serial No 07 show up for the climactic sequence and do good work in colorful roles.
Paco Periago (The Phantom of the Sauna 2021) composed the score for The Institute. At times, it has that retro synth approach that many horror fans love, but it mostly stays in the background with a minimal, if quietly operatic, aesthetic. The editing by Michael Patrick Kelly (Isn’t It Delicious 2013) and newcomer Spencer Smith is unobtrusive and keeps the story moving, although there are a few awkward transitions. The CG effects used in Marie’s nightmare sequences aren’t particularly convincing, and in one shot, I’d say they look unfinished. Zaman wisely limits their use, though. The CG shot in the film’s closing moments is much more effective. Some makeup and light practical gore are deployed here and there, which I found visually pleasing while keeping the budget in mind.
Hamza Zaman’s The Institute does not completely work in some instances. Additionally, almost everyone involved are unknowns or journeyman types. That’s obviously not inherently a bad thing, but star power doesn’t carry some of the production’s flimsier elements. That being said, it has its fair share of enjoyable aspects and the narrative comes together just fine. I wouldn’t be surprised to see many of the folks involved going on to bigger and better things. It feels like I was watching filmmakers learn on the job, but everyone was certainly game. I loved the ending, and that’s a testament to Zaman’s ability to create and maintain tension, as well as his instincts on how to blindside viewers with unexpected horror. The Institute is recommended, with some caveats, for fans of low budget DIY filmmaking, creepy doctors, and tripping balls with sexually uninhibited strangers. It will be released on disc and on demand on March 22, 2022.
