Discovering hidden gems, I love it, you know it. The first time I heard about "Exam" was in Empire and Total Film but since it didn't get a theatrical release in the US basically no one here had heard about it. But luckily I got my fingers on a copy of this smart minimalist thriller and it surely didn't disappoint.
"Exam"'s premise is as simple as it is intriguing: Eight people, all interviewing for a high-ranking job, are being put through the last interview round which consists of a written exam with only one single question. Sounds easy enough? Here's the hook: There is no question on the sheet...
While this might sound ludicrous enough, the film nonetheless succeeds in creating tension. The candidates couldn't be more different and it's their personalities that quickly come into play when they try to figure out what the question and the real exam actually is. As always I am not going to give away anything more as watching how these people turn on and trick each other is half the fun.
Just like other films that focus on a small group of people that are trapped in a unique situation (like "Cube" or "Fermat's Room") the exam setup ultimately is not much more than a MacGuffin in disguise. Therefore it is remarkable how well it works, considering it is writer and director Stuart Hazeldine's first full length feature. His script is smartly written with some great dialogue and it only gets better thanks to terrific performances especially by Luke Mably and Jimi Mistry. The not-so-subtle criticism of corporate thinking where each candidate goes to extreme lengths to have an advantage over one another is a nice little bonus but not drawn out well enough to be anything than supplemental.
No comments:
Post a Comment