The Vance Institute

Participating in a self-help workshop, a group of strangers arrives at a guru's compound in the woods to begin training in a series of dangerous and somewhat unethical activities designed to push them to be better people at the expense others in the program.

There was a lot to like about this one. Among the better features here stems from the overall setup of the situation and what goes on at the institute. The idea of this lonely group of misfits and losers being brought to this bizarre and secluded locale in the woods by a sketchy doctor and put through an increasingly alarming series of tests designed to evoke their personal demons and push them past it to grow as a person comes across rather nicely. Giving us a chance to get to know who they are and what they're struggling with, there's a lot to like here as everything comes together into a solid, chilling setup. This leads into the film's enjoyable series of tortures and psychological mind-games he puts everyone through to achieve his desired results. As they're put through personal struggles designed around their own issues or group-based tactics to push them through challenging ordeals, these scenes provide the kind of traumatic-centric activities that figure into his devious nature. They grow darker and more psychologically charged as it goes along which leads into the wild finale involving some decent twists and reveals that showcase some intriguing elements, providing a lot to enjoy overall. The film does have some drawbacks holding it back. The main factor against this one is the overall obvious nature of the doctor's duplicitous tactics without any alarms going off. He's not portrayed as the charming snake or the smooth-talking radical presenting something different for gullible victims the way these types of characters are usually played off as here he's just an abusive tormentor putting them through intense tortures without question. The tactics and philosophy are so questionable it's a wonder how he got this far much like the first one, and along with the low-budget look here are what bring this down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Have been a long time enjoyer of Lawrie Brewster directed films and this is his darkest yet, familiar locations and some thowback soundtrack music that makes me want to watch past films. The cast does an excellent job big shout out to jamie scott gordon who is always excellent his constant air of tention is a joy to watch, the black and whilte was not expected but it works realy well the shadow work in the bedrooms is fantastic, even though im a hex media fanboy i will of course be honest the only let down being that it is somewhat predictable but frankly im nitpicking. Im short on words according to IMDB

Im Bruce and i approve this message.

(Full disclaimer: I did a few days on this shoot as a production assistant, so I may not be completely impartial. Having said that, I've watched - and occasionally been involved with - quite a few Hex Studios shoots over the years, and this definitely stands out as one of their best.)

The Vance Institute benefits hugely from a smart and efficient script, which does an excellent job balancing the characters and keeping up a quick pace. Little time is wasted, as the film effectively builds the tension during the opening before suddenly (and quite dramatically) escalating the stakes.

Some brilliant design work in the sets and costumes really sell the premise, and Tom Molloy's effectively sinister subversion of a "self help guru" dominates the film, leaving a sense of dread hanging over every scene. The strong cast are served well with a particularly effective ending, with quite a few unexpected conclusions to the character arcs.

As much as I enjoyed the film, I would definitely have preferred to see the film in full colour. Having been on set during filming, I know how striking the visuals were - particularly the red tracksuits - and I would have loved seeing that colour on screen. This could simply be a matter of personal preference, though, as the monochrome visuals are strikingly bold and lend the film a 'classic horror' feel.

If you enjoy psychological horror and dark subject matter, then this is definitely worth a watch.

Its a difficult film to describe. Its kind of a squid game meets saw, but focuses on psychological horror instead of out right violence.

The physical violence is mostly hidden away from view allowing you to imagine what's going on. In some respects this felt a little annoying at times, especially when the cut away was very jarring; but the story makes up for it.

The film is in black and white (mostly) and I think that helps illustrate the mental horrors going on.

I was completely engrossed in the film and the time flew by, leading to a rather unexpected ending.

My only real negative about the film would be the long pauses showing the outside of the building - presumably to show the time of the day. They often felt overly long.

The Vance Institute is a Suspense filled psychological thriller/horror. It is heavy on having a disturbing atmosphere throughout the movie. There are definitely some themes and layers to this movie as well as the characters. The main theme is people dealing with their insecurities and inner fears and whether or not they will let others in an authority use those insecurities and fears to manipulate them.. I can almost see a metaphor for those that run this institute representing the government, the super wealthy and powerful . Those who are attending the institute are us, the people who are being manipulated. I could be reading to much into that as I am nit sure of the writers intention. This is a very dark film so don't expect a happy ending.

Overall I really enjoyed this film. It was well directed and acted and well written. I highly recomend.