Subject

Taken to a remote government facility, a man is forced to partake in a series of experiments to try to get a reduced prison sentence for a crime he never committed, but the more he undertakes the task the more he becomes haunted by his past and the idea of the creature next door getting loose.

This was a decent enough if problematic genre effort. What works well here is pretty much the entire concept of what's going on and how it's all designed to drive him crazy. The entire secrecy of the project and how its rigidity forces him to go increasingly more paranoid at the purpose of the observation provide this with a rather intriguing setup that's far more ominous the longer he stays there. The eventual secret reveals of the creature at the source of the entire thing and how it all plays out ties into the past memories that he's continually flooded with the longer he's there. It's all hammered home in the finale where the creature gets loose and helps to hype up the type of interactions that give this some chilling and enjoyable aspects here. There are some factors that bring it down. It's all centered mostly on the idea of the film about the guy going crazy the more he stays there. With the lack of information shared with him, the repetitive nature of being trapped with little warning, and the confusing nature of the entire process of interviewing him to try to get these points across, it's just entirely confusing and not all that interesting to get started in the first half. Very little of this makes any sense and causes the film to get dragged out with these features making for a rough time setting up the psychological nature of the whole experiment. This doesn't really have a major impact on the way it proceeds but there's enough here to bring this down as it's an otherwise rather enjoyable effort.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Only a few reviews here from people who seem to know what this is about. Sadly, I'm not one of them. What others have stated, as well as this site, is on the surface this is a tale about a man convicted of a crime that he didn't commit who is on his way to jail when some sort of secret government agency offers him a chance to bypass jail in exchange for participating in an experiment. However, it's all a setup and the experiment makes little sense. We see frequent flashbacks of his home life, two daughters and a dying wife due to cancer. He accidentally kills one of his daughters and everything that occurs afterwards seems more like some unfathomable penance he must pay for that accident. By the time this film ends, it seems simply a horror film to me. Whatever it is, it has its moments and it has a lead and a director, Tristan Barr, who puts himself through the ringer from start to finish. The film is claustrophobic and creepy and someone please tell me how this man survives, for days, weeks, months, years (?!) on an egg or two per day and nearly no water. Barr is quite effective and so is the film in a nonsensical kind of way.

The first impression this makes is its reflection of prisoner abuse, with obvious associated questions of prisoner rights and human rights (and, in turn, abolition, among still other sociopolitical issues - but these are beside the point). The second impression it makes, long before the full image is formed of protagonist Willem's history, is that said background is unnecessary and superfluous, or in the very least could have been reduced to some extent; it speaks partly to his mindset, yes, but even at that could have been omitted in light of the dialogue he otherwise offers to the camera, and small additions or changes to the script could have done the rest. It's also worth observing, perhaps, that over its length 'Subject' shows itself to have been relatively low-budget - yet by no means is that a reflection on its quality, for within whatever limits the production faced this looks pretty terrific, with plentifully sufficient detail in the austere set design, and in the costume design, special makeup, and effects, to serve the intended purpose. To that latter point, the last impression that it makes without directly speaking to its overall value is that Joey Lai, appearing as the unnamed "subject," gives an excellent performance to bring the being's looming, imposing presence to bear. Like Doug Jones, Alexander Ward, and other actors who specialize in playing monsters, Lai illustrates a keen sense of just the right unnatural posture and movement to come off as meaningfully, distinctly creepy, with the outcome of being a highlight here.

There's one other chief facet to consider, this one more substantive: while this is unmistakably a creature feature, and in its own way a found footage flick, there's also a major aspect of psychological horror to the story. In no way is it actually, specifically bad, but this might illustrate the main weakness on hand. Psychological horror is a genre that requires nuance and tact to succeed in tales that revolve around the power of the mind, and especially shifts or fluctuations in a character's mental state. I'm unsure if the relevant factor here is Vincent Befi's screenplay, Tristan Barr's direction, Stephen Phillips' performance, or some combination thereof, but it does seem to me that 'Subject' somewhat lacks the necessary delicate touch for that aspect to meet with true success. The goal is achieved, and the result is enjoyable, but with more graded finesse in every capacity (not just in regards to the psychological aspect) 'Subject' could have dug its claws in deeper, and been more impactful, satisfying, and rewarding. Further emphasizing the point, I think one or two ideas here could have been dropped, refining the narrative, and that may have also improved the whole. Even with room for improvement in its constituent parts the movie we get is quite good, with fairly strong writing, direction, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, and more; the genre element is very ably brought to fruition, and the story is dark and compelling. I look forward to seeing more from all involved. I just also think that with a smidgen more mindful care, and perhaps some minor alterations, the film would have been even better.

Still, one way or another, much more than not this is well made. Much more than not it's entertaining, and it scratches the proverbial itch for horror fans. It's nothing one needs to go out of their way to see, but it is worth checking out; there's no rule that says every title has to be an exemplar. If imperfect, 'Subject' is nevertheless a good time, and that's all it needs to be.