User Reviews

"Exam" is a one-room movie that explores the human psyche. It's a "What Would You Do?" on steroids.

Eight applicants are put into a room with 80 minutes to answer the one exam question, except there's no question seen on their exam sheets. They have to follow three simple rules or else they're disqualified:

1.) Don't spoil your paper.

2.) Don't try to communicate with the guard or the invigilator

3.) Don't voluntarily leave the room.

With these three known rules the test-takers began dissecting their environment around them as well as each other (figuratively) in order to find out what the one question is so they can give the one answer. It was both tense and annoying. You already know at least one character is going to grate your nerves, and in this case just about every character grated my nerves. Still, I was intrigued and I wanted to see the movie through to the end.

Take "Saw" and remove approximately 95% of the torture element, then take 8 candidates, sit them in a room and give them an exam presided over by a security officer who oversees all, as they seek to find the answer to the question that they've been asked by the invigilator of a surreptitiously successful organization. Of course, once they actually find the question first that's easy, or... is it?

To some people this movie will be an absolute bore. To others it will be an enjoyable psychological mystery - albeit more 'who wins the job?' than 'whodunnit?'

Direction, screenplay and acting are all admirable. Oh and lest I forget, the Chinese girl "Gemma Chan" is mega yummy - what a stunning girl indeed!!!

Overall this movie's a 7/10. Definitely worth a watch *if* you like to keep guessing... But if you like your guessing to remain on autopilot throughout a movie's duration, then I'd advise you to avoid this movie.

Exam (2009)

What a bizarre movie. It's so beautifully filmed, almost virtuosic in its use of focus and close up and light, you almost forget that the plot is a highly contrived package of clever ideas. When you do think about the plot, and the various holes that open up in the logic of it, you are almost forced to enjoy it for the visuals. And for the acting, which has some real high points.

You also marvel at how the entire movie is shot in a single room (with a glimpse of hallway a few times). I suppose you might bow to the film's makers for pulling off so much with so little. The result is intelligent and a little bit suspenseful at its best moments. When it begins it is absolutely fascinating, from the opening scenes establishing the characters to the first laying out of the rules (although there is a drama that reminded me for some reason of "Deal or No Deal" at its tackiest). Then some of the characters break out of the futurist mode and we have normal people vying to win the game, the contest to be hired by the mysterious health products company behind the scenes. (This part will remind everyone of a stylized and a bit false seeming "The Apprentice" even to the point that you might wish for a Donald Trump to appear from behind the dark screen and prod them along.)

By the end, I think most people will either be a bit tired of it all, or mostly incredulous. It pulls out lots of tricks, and we are inevitably a little surprised by the final turns of events. But I'm not sure it lives up to the high standards set at the start. Get sucked in, sure, but be prepared to stick it out with effort.

"Exam" is a wonderful psychological study of eight people who are the top candidates for an important job with a high-level corporation.

The time period is some time in the future. Eight candidates are put in a windowless room, and an Invigilator (Colin Salmon). They have 80 minutes to answer a question. There are four rules: don't talk to him, don't talk to the guard, don't leave the room, and don't spoil the piece of paper in front of them.

The candidates find the sheet in from of each of them blank.

One tries to write on the paper and is ejected immediately. After a time, one person figures out that they can talk to one another, and they attempt by various means to see what's on the paper.

Lights, liquids, nothing works. Slowly as the clock goes down, the real personalities of the candidates begin to emerge, and we learn more about them.

One of the features aggravating the situation is that there is a plague, something like AIDS, that is killing people, and this company has come up with medications that can help and are working toward a cure. One of the women has a partner who cannot afford the medication, which is why she is applying for the job. One of the candidates has the disease.

The stress becomes worse and worse as people not only seek to find out the question, but "White" (Luke Mably) tries to manipulate people to break a rule so they can be eliminated.

This is an excellent film, though one has to take into account that it is happening in the future. At least in the present, no one would go through what these people did for a job, especially with a selection process like that. I would have left after the Invigilator talked. So we don't know what's going on in the world.

The film presents a real puzzle, and getting to the solution is a fascinating process for the viewer.

The acting is very good and intense, with Luke Mably having the showiest role. Colin Salmon, the Invigilator, has one of the best voices in the world and has an incredible presence.

Really enjoyed this.

In a near future, eight candidates are in the final stage for the position of CEO's assistant in a pharmaceutical corporation. They are locked in a room and the invigilator tells them that they have eighty minutes to answer one question only. He explains that in the lawless space there are only three rules to be followed otherwise they would be disqualified: they should talk neither to him nor to the armed guard; they should not spoil their piece of paper; and they should not leave the room. He starts the chronometer and leaves the room. Then the candidates discover that they have a blank piece of paper with their numbers only. One woman starts writing on the paper and is removed from the room for spoiling the paper. The other candidates figure out that they are allowed to talk to each other and they need teamwork to discover the questions. As far as the time runs out, the tension increases.

"Exam" is a low-budget movie with an intriguing psychological thriller and great direction and performances. The suspenseful story uses of the storyline of "El método" (2005) combined with the violence and tension of "Das Experiment" (2001). However it fails for not providing the big picture of this society with infected people and why the group wishes so bad the position in the corporation. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

I had the pleasure of seeing this pic at the recent Edinburgh Film Festival and it is certainly not The Apprentice. More like 12 Angry Men meets Cube.

Photographed in the impressive cinemascope screen shape and very sharply edited, the director takes us on a psychological journey where the characters, who are at first cagey, gradually open up to reveal their true identities. This manifests itself in various ways as the candidates gradually step up to bat and take each other on in a variety of ways. Some good, some bad, some horrific - but always interesting.

Perhaps a tad talky in the centre section but it builds to an exciting and clever climax that wields a distinct note of hope and positivity.

This is a low budget but pretty ingenious thriller that unfortunately doesn't quite pay off at the end.

8 candidates are at the last hurdle of an application process and find themselves setting an unusual exam whereby one candidate will get the job. The film is set up nicely as you get to know each of the candidates. Most of them are pretty unlikeable and based on caricatures, in fact it is like watching an episode of The Apprentice at times.

The acting is mostly just adequate though I thought Chukwudi Iwuji as Black was excellent.

The film keeps you watching as you try and second guess the outcome but the ending is pretty disappointing. A more worthy ending to an intriguing film would have meant this rated much higher. However this is worth a watch and it deserves some credit for trying something different.

I'm very excited upon seeing the film and sitting through it, for I expected that it would give me an impressive outcome, and I have to say, It did deliver. Exam is a low-budgeted film, which has 8 main character, a guard, and an invigilator. Despite of the said budget, It was able to give me a solid plot, awesome acting and great ending. Though the movie do not have a lot of gore scenes (I guess none at all), nor lots of screaming and killing. It was still great. It will keep you guessing and guessing and, simultaneously discovering the characters background, this movie is not boring at all, It'll keep you thinking and wait to see if your guess is right. This movie, only proved that budget is not a major factor in creating a ground-breaking movie. Exam is one of a kind and I wish to see more of this. 9/10.

The film opened up giving me high hopes with an enjoyable slice of cinematography that is reminiscent of other films, however as I continued, bit by bit it chipped away my hopes for the film.

During the film rules are quickly set up, making it clear what the characters are able to do with a set of rules and not other outside rules apply. The characters act understandably at first but quickly just seem to ignore what any normal person would do, the characters are all established to be highly intelligent and also deductive but fail to take notice of blatantly obvious things. Characters also quickly establish themselves as arch types. The male characters are quickly shown to have clear personalities however many of the female characters seem to have had little written for them other then one being an information dispenser who for the majority of the film is just a robot. In general it is well acted however the actors seem to have been given both a poor script and directions.

Even with plot holes ignored and the ending, the film is largely just several strong archetypes having very simple mind games with each other. Several times during the film I was able to call out certain outcomes before they happened as the characters are highly predictable. Without my opinion of the awful story I would describe the film as a 4 out of 10 instead, however with it included I would say a 3.

Below is spoilers for the film and where most of the plot holes or just stupidity of the story is mentioned.

What was the answer to the question? Well there was only one question asked during which was "Any question" and so the answer "No" was correct. My eyes practically rolled out the sides of my head in grimace. The statement of there only being one question which can only be seen through two layers of glass with only two people wearing glasses in the room. Many of these plot holes are just a list of question but I feel ultimately show how the film only works because the characters are written to have it work rather then having any sort of understandable logic to it.

What was the purpose of hiding "Question 1." on the paper when they already said there was one question? Why make it so difficult to see? What would have happened if White stabbed Black in the eye with a pencil to kill him rather then man handling the guard to shoot him? Why would they destroy not only the lights but also the emergency lighting before checking the clock, one of the only clear objects in the room with two distinctive buttons? Were they meant to discover who Deaf was so they could tell him no? They were given no way to reply unless they knew as they were not allowed to communicate with the invigilator. Would Deaf be revealed at the end if they had all just waited and then expected to answer? How did everyone ignore deaf fiddling with the clock, if it did not at least draw attention should they at least be concerned about him messing up the test for them? What would have happened if anyone answered no to the question before the test started? Would it not count as the test had not started yet? Would they be removed for communication with the invigilator even while giving the correct answer?

Eight people with various skills are brought to a room to vie for a job in a powerful corporation. The Invigilator lays out the task for the group to be completed within 80 minutes. Each person sits at a desk with a piece of paper with the word Candidate and a number. The group struggles to cooperate to find out what the question even is. As each attempt fails, the group turns on each other.

This is a high concept mystery thriller written by Stuart Hazeldine and Simon Garrity, and directed by Hazeldine. It's a compelling watch and a real puzzler. It's a real tight thriller inside one room. In the end, the resolution is a little bit disappointing and a letdown. With a great puzzle, the solution can elevate the whole movie with its inventiveness. This solution is more of a cheat.

well, i was reluctant to this film at first, thinking ...entire film taking place in a close room, 8 people chit chat their way to success - doesn't sounds too appealing. TW (time wasting) alarm? it couldn't be further far from the truth. this film rocks!! not the typical interview i suppose, more like a socio-metric test for the ultimate assistance. how would i do i kept asking myself. i sort of films like that, CGI and special effects are put aside, what makes the film in A: Directing B: acting (and of course - a good script to back it up). and this film did marvelously well! acting is superb by all. Casting made sure to put the right face to the each character, and WHITE and BLACK out-act them all with probably their best role to date. Sit tight and enjoy this mind-toggling film.

First of all Luke Mably (White) was absolutely amazing in his role.I like him in "The Gates" too.The start is really promising and since its a puzzling film so it keeps you thinking till the end.The direction seemed absolutely amazing and I had no clue that its a low budget film.To some one who said all the cast was unknown please note that "Brown" whose name is Jimi Mistry was in 2012 and that was a really big movie.The invigilator was in the James Bond movies and in the Resident Evil movie.The film kept a tight grip over me right from the start to the close to the end.But the ending was a bit of a letdown for me.All in all it was a really nice movie and it keeps you guessing.If you like solving puzzles and mysteries then definitely go for this movie you'll enjoy and if you like movies like SAW then its definitely not for you.

'Exam' is one of those movies that looks smarter than it actually is. The plot is intriguing, but all the details doesn't quite add up. We are given the presumption that all the characters are unique and highly intelligent, yet their actions seem to speak otherwise. Besides the information they say, they don't show any unique skills why they were chosen for this particular test. I can say that the characters were little bit shallow, and poorly developed. The story itself delves into already familiar territory of psychological games and plot twists of 'mind bending movies'. The writers took too big bite and weren't clever enough for themselves to really surprise the 'seen a lot' viewer. Nonetheless, the movie manages to attract and then keep the viewer's attention. Acting is hammy at spots but the pacing is fine and the atmosphere is consistent. The directing is good and one can say, that the visuals are quite stylish.

'Exam' is nothing to get overly excited for, but it is consistent and entertaining enough. 'Turn of your brain' type of movie for a thinking person.

First the good points. I enjoyed the great idea and was expecting something like the cube. The music was pretty good the setting. Visuals and acting are moderate to good.

The movie pretends to be really smart with smart people acting smart. But this is not true. Basically the characters are pretty stupid and act respectively. But I could live with this discrepancy. A bigger problem is that the movie let you think of a smart storyline with smart evolving and maybe some genius plot twists. Basically just the Idea is not evolving at all till after the end of the movie. The characters just do "stuff" all the time. It is not like "the cube" when characters push a mystery along the story. The mystery stays till the end. The revelation of the "mystery" is really poor and is just working in an artificial setting without normal acting Characters.

I think this movie is far away from what it pretends to be and could not recommend it.

This film is about eight candidates who are in the final round of selection for a prestigious job. They have to answer one question in eighty minutes, but the question sheet they have is blank.

The whole film has the same setting and characters throughout, but it is never boring. Not even for one minute. With every single minute, it gets more suspenseful and engaging.

It is such a superb character study, focusing on what people do in stressful, confusing and even helpless situations. it really gets you to think what is the question, which is so painfully obvious once you realise what is the question.

The best thing is that, there is no flaw in the plot. It is not easy to come up with such an intelligent plot. "Exam" has to be one of the most suspenseful, intriguing, clever, well written and thrilling film I have seen in a long time.

I fancy these single-location setups not only because they have an organic sense of dread and isolation but also because they give each of the characters enough space to shine and develop, and the combined outcome of these two, in most cases, makes for an interesting exhibition.

Provided the script serves its purpose well and does not erode the power of the main subject matter. Exam's screenplay however, did the letter in this instance. Despite a strong start, the presentation here eventually falls short of precision and vigour!

And that's primarily because they got off track; the opening two acts are fine, they introduce the characters, they show enough to help us understand the ambitions and personality traits of each member of the group, but then comes the final moments of the tale and the subtlety dissipates and melodrama takes centre stage, and that's where it faltered in my estimation.

Suffice to say, I was quite underwhelmed.