Exam

To be honest, when I first saw the trailer for Exam, I mocked it. I wrote some snarky comment about Exam on my sister's Facebook. Flash-forward several months to last night. I was bored, wanted to watch something that wouldn't require too much thinking, and I remembered seeing Exam on Netflix Instant. Seeing that the reviews were fairly decent and interested in how the movie would play out, I decided that I'd at least give it a try.

And I'm glad I did. It was far from being the best movie ever, but I enjoyed it. There's not a whole lot to the movie. It all, with the exception of a short sequence at the beginning of the movie showing the applicants getting ready, takes place in one small room. Thus, the movie relies largely on character interaction. And, for the most part, that works pretty well. I did think that the character's reactions, especially towards the latter half of the movie, were a little over-dramatic, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of Exam.

I don't really know the movie's pedigree, but it definitely gave off a slight amateur vibe. But, again, this wasn't really a problem for me. In fact, it was almost a positive thing. It made the movie have a bit of a fresh feel, and although I think a couple of the actors may have had some acting experience, the fact tha all of them were unknowns to me enhanced my viewing experience.

While Exam is classified, I believe, as a thriller, it's not a scary thriller by any means. There's a vague, eerie feeling that pervades the movie, but it's pretty tame. I'll admit there was one scene that had me making faces of horror in anticipation. Luckily, this scene was not followed through on.

I've read that there's a divide in opinion about the movie's ending. Without giving anything away, I'd say that it was a decent ending. The ending could have been a bit clearer, but it was by no means a bad ending. While it wasn't anything amazing, it was satisfying enough for me.

All in all, I'd say the Exam is a pretty good movie that was not deserving of my initial mockery. It's not by any means a must see, but it's a nice little thriller if you want something entertaining to watch.