Title: Asylum
Running Time: 97 min.
Cast: Sarah Roemer, Jake Muxworthy, Travis Van Winkle,
Director: David Ellis
Screenwriter: Ethan Laurence
Genre: Horror
Technical Assessment: * * ½
Moral Assessment: ● ● ½
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
Madison (Sarah Roemer) has witnessed a traumatic incident when she was young—her father shot himself in front of them and their mother. Years later, Madison attends a university where her big brother also committed suicide. She meets her roommates in the school dormitory with varied personalities. One is an overconfident gym buff (Travis Van Winkle) the other is a former drug addict (Jake Muxworthy), there is a meek hacker (Cody Kasch), a loose blonde (Ellen Hollman) and a Latina (Carolina Garcia). As their days in the dormitory go by, they eventually discover that there is an abandoned asylum annexed next door and each one them is preyed upon by the ghost of the asylum: its former resident surgeon, Dr. Burke (Mark Rolston) who is said to have tortured patients who rebelled against him and made him suffer the same fate. Will Madison and friends be able to escape the asylum?
The Asylum is a worn-out concept repackaged in a soap operatic plot. The result is a cheesy, corny horror flick that barely excites nor terrifies. The actors have delivered fine performances but they are all boxed in stereotypical characterization. The story’s pacing is too slow and the suspense factor is delayed. It has its attempts of putting into visuals the activities of disturbed minds but it only resulted into greater confusion, and the audience can hardly follow and draw the line between imagination, hallucination and reality, alienating the audience in the process. Although there are some strong visuals, they collectively appear flat and lifeless in the uninspired narrative.
Each one of us at one point or another has harbored different kinds of demons in our hearts. The same with the movie, it could be pain, shame, guilt or anger. The Asylum has gone as far as drug addiction, insanity and trauma. This message is clear in the movie although the execution is confusing. The movie only fails to point out that faith and prayers are strong weapons against these demons. Although in the end, the good still triumphs over evil, the story has only scratched the surface of various demons faced by juveniles which include depression, insecurity and substance abuse. There are no clear alternatives or solutions presented. What’s left in the audience’s minds are disturbing, violent images of horror and terror. There are also nudity and hints of pre-marital sex in the film so young audiences should be warned and guided while watching.
