User reviews

My quick rating - 3,4/10. I have to save people from reading obvious "fake" reviews on IMDB. This movie attempts to try and fool you, and if you don't think for a minute in this movie, you will be fooled. Into being entertained that is. In an attempt to be weird, just for the sake of being weird, the movie is a complete mess. Unfortunately the plot itself doesn't lend a hand to the sub par actors and give them something to work with. Without giving anything away, a guy wants to "hack" (using that term very loosely) the human mind to save the world. In doing so, with the electronics you most likely dropped off last time you recycled electronics, he finds himself and his best friend (oh, big plot point, does he exist?) trying to solve this plan, again, hacking your mind. Now since this movie doesn't rely on any theory, science, computer knowledge, etc. you just have to assume he is doing something. But of course, the bad guy (no plural, budget couldn't afford that) wants to stop him. Then again, is there a bad guy. If you are going to make a movie that relies on wondering these things, please write in some part of it to explain. It isn't that this movie is confusing, it is just so poorly done and trying to rip off by far better versions of the "all in your mind" idea, that this just falls so flat. I am unsure the makers of this movie were even sure which way they were going with this. Do yourself a favor, and don't bother with this one, you'll end up just being "Mad" P.S. If you worked on this movie, good for you, but don't jump on here and write BS reviews praising this as the new coming of Fight Club, etc. It makes you look dumb, and not everyone can see through the nonsense reviews so quickly. I knew it was coming after the first 10/10, but after seeing a few back to back, I figured the crew sat in the same room and passed the laptop around in a circle to get them done.

I expected more but get less, plot is bad, they did not get into what saving means, acting wasn't bad but most scenes are boring. its a low budget film anyway.

Why so many 10/10 reviews. The plot, if it has one is meh. I was confused through out till the end.

30 minutes in and I had to stop - I rarely do that once I've started a movie. The positive reviewers are definitely fake accounts (having only reviewed this movie) and should not be trusted. I thought I'd give it a chance and it's a half hour of my life I'll never get back.

Remember that 90's movie Hackers, remember how bad that was? Well you would think after over 20 years on the concept of young, drug fuelled, pretty looking digital geniuses wanting to change the world that it would have evolved by now but no.

Some trippy visuals, a Bond-esque villiain in training, faux science mumbo jumbo, teenage hormones and recreational drug taking is all this film really amounts to.

For all those handing out 10 star reviews here (movie marketing people) it screams of desperation and not believing in the product you've sent out into the world. We see through it, please stop !!

I give it a 3 cause I made it to the end and 2 of those stars are for me achieving that!!

Movie was very hollow and pointless. what's worse is all the fake positive reviews.

A bad robot clone, i had to stop watching it, its raining outside on a late afternoon, this will quickly take you to snooze land.

Story line is week, you can't follow this at all, i mean I like sci-fi but this was like 10 writers sat down in different rooms and wrote a script without talking to each other. Only got two stars as actors and special effects were good considering a low budget film This is my first review and I'm only writing this as the film was that terrible I don't want the fake reviews swaying people

'Mad Genius' did intrigue me. Despite it being very lowly rated, from personal experience quite a lot of film rated under 4 are rated low for very good reason, and with a lot of the reviews being tepid at best (quite a lot of them negative, with some passionate, overly so perhaps, defending), the advertising looked cool and the concept was quite intriguing.

Seeing 'Mad Genius', while not finding it a particularly good film it to me wasn't that bad. Have seen far worse recently, quite a lot of them higher rated, and far worse overall. Although the execution was severely patchy and quite a few elements are easily criticised, it didn't strike me as if those involved weren't trying, if anything there was somewhat of a biting off more than they could chew feel to me. Actually understood what they were trying to do and respect their efforts even if it was not my cup of tea, will not join the fake reviews conspiracy theory, something that has been polluting the internet to an out of proportion degree for some time now and although there is suspicious activity admittedly for quite a number of times it is getting really annoying.

Visually, was expecting 'Mad Genius' to be much worse than it was. Low-budget films with a higher budget than the one for 'Mad Genius' actually manage to be comparatively quite a bit cheaper. While finesse is not a strong suit and the effects are very hasty-looking, there was effort made here. It is slickly shot with some very striking angles that progress rather than distract and the sets and lighting are atmospheric, a world that is easily immersive.

Really did like some of the ideas conceptually and there were some neat video reactions and real-time social media comment touches sprinkled throughout. The acting is hit and miss, but Faran Tahir chews the scenery enjoyably and Scott Mechlowicz is likeable enough.

Chris Mason's performance is uneven, sometimes in command and amiable and at other times bland and unsure. Spencer Locke looks wide-eyed and frightened the entire time, pretty much the only notable expression in a role with practically nothing to it. The characters were very flimsy in development and the more interesting and better performed ones are on screen too little. A couple of elements are uneven, the fast cuts in some of the camera work could have been used less (the overuse became gimmicky) and the music while quite nice and groovy on its own intrudes a little too much and didn't always fit within the film.

Would have liked more clarity and tightness in the script, some of it felt rambling and muddled. The story had some great ideas but too many are not followed all the way through, they are not exactly new but intrigued but the film executed them too predictably and ordinarily for my tastes. Character motivations generally could have been much clearer, had the constant feeling of why is he or she doing this and what do they want, and the middle act is on the sluggish side.

Overall, a nice try but didn't do much for me on the whole. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Let's start with the visuals, though I won't stop there. For a low budget movie this looks amazing. The special effects are really good. But it's not just "shiny" without substance. It does have a story it wants to tell and there is quite a bit to discover. I saw it at Frightfest and it was one of the highlights of the low budget movies that played there for me. Of course there were other voices and it's always a thing of taste and what bar you want to set for a movie.

Does it have flaws? Could you criticize characters or some of the acting and the script/dialog? Yes, there is always room to critique something, even something many consider classics. I wouldn't go as far as calling this a classic (that's 9 or 10 for me), but for what it's worth and for the fact you can re-watch it and discover new things alone, this deserves the 8 fully. There are hidden messages and there obvious ones, that you will see through by just watching. And while not all questions will get an answer (not even from the director who was at Frightfest), it is for you to decide and decipher what you make of it. Stellar performances and a solid pace, make this a tense affair

"Mad Genius" presents a sci-fi society in which the human mind can be broken into and programmed per the agenda of the hacker. Real life husband and wife Chris Mason and Spencer Locke are Mason and Sawyer, a tortured genius and his mysterious muse, whose redemptive message seems to be a Beatlesque "All You Need Is Love". Scott Mechlowicz as Mason's alter ego, Finn, engages the misguided millennial in nonstop snappy repartee that is hilarious one moment, chilling the next.

This world as written and directed by Royce Gorsuch is a sullen and scary one. And while what Gorsuch explores and proposes may be implausible, is his vision eternally impossible?

Most of us will likely answer "No."

And that is truly frightening.

This Movie does have strong language and it has drugs, smoking, sexual content, nudity were a backside was shown. And Technology torturer inflicted by another human. I feel like I've seen this Movie done before which made parts for me a little boring.

I loved the plot and the special effects, I think is was an okay Movie but I think that it would have been better if it was a TV show instead of a Movie. I think the Movie was explained well at the start with the voice over and I like how at the start of the Movie how it didn't just leave us and not having a clue what it was about. but as soon as that first scene was over, it lacked. The voice over got me interested in the Movie and then that part just vanished. I would of liked it more if it had the voice over though-out the Movie without making the scenes to easy to guess what would happen next.

I liked mason he was funny and I liked his style of clothing. I liked mason and finn scenes. finn is like mason's imagination hologram. Anyway I found finn funny too I liked the scenes that he was in.

I liked this Movie but I wanted more, I wasn't jumping up and down in my chair in suspense, I think if it was more engaging I would have been hooked. My number one genres that I love is sci-fi. And I just really wanted to love this Movie and at first I thought I would. But After the first few scenes it started to drag and I would of liked it more if we had more charter development and back story. Like how he got into all this and how he learn about it.

People leaving a 10/10 on this trash...wow. It may be worse than the room. I would rather watch paint dry.

Just made me lol. Looked like a college student had made it

I managed 25 minutes of this before turning it off. Incredibly boring.

Honestly, my expectation was low on this movie; the budget and the cast didn't seem to be good. I decided to watch only because I liked the poster and the concept of the movie. However, it overturned my expectation. First of all, the acting was great. Especially Chris Mason was flawless in playing a lead. The visual effects were great. No one would expect such high quality with this budget. And, it leaves open questions or messages to audience that can be interpreted variously.

A dark, comic sci-fi mystery drama!! A powerful statement and a desperate cry of the consumerist modern man to make a change even at the price of his sanity. This film takes shape as a brutal anarchy of morals with an ending that continues to bleed into your own mind and keep you guessing! A film that allows you to be your own Mad Genius rather than a spoon fed paint by numbers ones! Exciting visuals and a Hot cast! Can't believe this is an indie!! I want a sequel or better yet a series!!!

I love a movie that doesn't tell me "exactly what to think!" It pretends to, but really, it questions itself, back and forth, criss crossing as to what is right and what is wrong. And it stuck with me. I was talking with my friend about it at the bar afterwards, trying to add up the different clues and stuff. I can tell this movie was created from a really small budget, but with a lot of ingenuity and creativity they were able to make something much bigger than the sum of its parts. As a maker in dt LA, I got it.

Fuses the best of Fight Club, The Matrix, and Mr. Robot! Excellent understanding of the laws of nature, of computers, and the complexities of our mind and conscience. Fantastic cinematography and great Acting. Leaves you pondering to what you might do.

Wow! This is a non-stop, fun, surreal, full-immersion science fiction experience. But..it seems like fiction that is soon to be fact, if it is not already.

This movie falls into my personal fav category of movies... the ones that you walk out of and can't stop thinking about. There are so many intricacies that play over and over in your mind until you can no longer deny the need to watch it again. It's a movie that has the power to snap us all out of complacency if we are willing to open our minds... but if that's not your cup of tea, it's interwoven with trippy visuals, amazing cinematography and great acting that will keep you pulled in. Finn is my fav!!

It's so refreshing to see a film that isn't just mindless action garbage. Mad Genius is an intelligent, thought provoking piece of art that leaves you questioning the reality of what you just saw. Is anyone but Mason even real? Are they all in his head? It's a film for those who like complex and unique stories, beautiful cinematography, and talented performances. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this mind bending and trippy movie!!

I love this movie. Royce Gorsuch has a visual style that keeps you fired up and deeply engaged. I love how this film is meanginful without being pedantic, fast and contemporary without feeling glib and, when it comes down to it... just a great story.

It's rare that you see a movie that effectively balances existential questions that can only be asked in today's digital world with a fast-paced, engaging storyline. These characters, from the baddies to the heroes are so much fun.

I'm gushing because I really want you all to experience this wild ride. And I can't wait for Gorsuch's next film. Huge thumbs up.