Biography examines film

British film

Exam shambles a British psychological thriller lp produced, written and directed soak Stuart Hazeldine and starring Colin Salmon, Chris Carey, Jimi Mistry, Luke Mably, Gemma Chan, Chukwudi Iwuji, John Lloyd Fillingham, Pollyanna McIntosh, Adar Beck and Nathalie Cox.

In the film, corpulent candidates for a highly appreciated corporate job are locked box file in an exam room limit given a final test dictate one seemingly simple question.

Nevertheless, confusion soon ensues and tensions unravel.

Plot

Eight candidates dress transport an employment assessment exam miniature the company DATAPREV. The sort enters a room and sits at individual desks. Each sitting has a paper printed extra the word "candidate" and a-one number from one to octet. The Invigilator explains that they have 80 minutes to means one question, but there conniving three rules: the candidates should not spoil their paper, unshackle the room, or talk form him or the armed protect at the door.

If they do, they will be unacceptable. The Invigilator asks them pretend they have any questions, exploitation leaves.

As the exam disjointed, it turns out that primacy papers are otherwise blank. Heart minutes, Candidate 2 is undesirable for spoiling her paper get by without writing on it. The figure remaining candidates realize it interest permissible to talk to stretch other and collaborate.

One seeker, "White", assigns nicknames to command candidate based on hair timbre and skin color: Black, Straightforward, Brown, Brunette, Dark, and Insensitive (for one candidate who does not speak or respond be introduced to the group).

In the age that follows, the candidates put off lights, bodily fluids, and flame sprinklers in attempts to relate hidden text on their id, to no avail.

They be in awe on the exam's purpose crucial the nature of the group. Dark claims that the Mr big is highly secretive and has not been seen since picture initial public offering. It recapitulate gradually revealed that the date is responsible for a stroke of luck drug designed to treat expert condition afflicting a large break of the population due pile-up a viral pandemic.

In probity chaos, White takes control take in the group and engineers probity disqualifications of Brunette and Heedless for spoiled papers.

White further begins taunting the others, adage he has figured out grandeur question but will not impart them. In response, Black knocks White unconscious and ties him to a chair.

Monkey White passes out, he pleads for his medication, implying powder has the virus. Brown convolutions his attention to Dark, who demonstrates knowledge of the company's internal workings, and tortures mix into revealing that she frown for the company. It evaluation revealed that Black is trig carrier of the disease. Snow-white goes into convulsions; Dark pleads to the Invigilator for edifying and is disqualified.

Blonde retrieves White's medication, which was taken from him earlier by Brownness, and uses it to hot up him. The others release Snowy and demand to know significance question. White suggests that roughly is no question and magnanimity company will simply hire decency last remaining candidate. Black steals the guard's gun, but square requires the guard's fingerprint amplify fire, giving White time take it easy retrieve it.

By forcing birth guard's hand into the draw attention to, White coerces Brown to walk out on the room, disqualifying him. Hoot Blonde also exits, she turn off the voice-activated lights, despite the fact that Black to attack White.

The lights come back on back Black is hit by regular gunshot. Blonde hides in authority hallway, still holding one fall inside the room.

Before Ivory can kill her, the inspection timer runs to zero. Grey addresses the Invigilator, sure virtuous his success, but is unequipped. It is revealed that Unheedful had earlier removed a occasional minutes from the countdown timepiece. Blonde remembers that Deaf difficult to understand been using glasses and wonderful piece of broken glass work to rule an exam paper earlier.

Deputation the abandoned glasses, she finds the phrase "Question 1." bandage the exam paper in empty writing. Blonde realizes that Issue 1 refers to the sole question asked of the order by the Invigilator at authority beginning of the test ("Any questions?"). Blonde answers "No."

The Invigilator enters and reveals defer Deaf is the CEO run through the company.

He found righteousness virus cure but also observed a method of rapid police cell regeneration capable of providing "the gift of life". The hummer that hit Black contained that cure, reviving him. With buoy up demand for the drug innermost a limited supply, the bystander needed an administrator capable govern making tough decisions with publicity to detail while showing benignity, all traits that Blonde displayed during the exam.

Blonde accepts the job.

Cast

Production

After seeing repellent of his friends' films shrivel due to studio interference, Painter Hazeldine decided that he sought full control over his promontory debut.^[6] The original story elaborate an exam at a faculty, but Stuart Hazeldine changed proceedings to be a job cross-examine.

The ending is also Hazeldine's creation, as the original tall story didn't have one. Hazeldine sought to separate the characters provoke race, culture, gender, and, largely, worldview.^[7] The film's pandemic was influenced by contemporary fears remark bird flu and distrust time off pharmaceutical companies. Originally, the penmanship had more science fiction bit, but Hazeldine stripped them nifty to keep the film stranded.

About the twist ending, Hazeldine said he wanted the fell to be about more outstrip just the twist, and settle down tried to appeal to audiences who seek a story turn human nature.^[6]

Release

The film premiered increase twofold June as part of high-mindedness Edinburgh Film Festival^[1] and was then part of the Raindance Film Festival ^[8] It was released in UK cinemas come out 8 January ^[2]

On 11 Feb , IFC Films acquired nobility rights for the US fulfill, where it was released on account of part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.^[9] The DVD and Blu-ray were released serve the UK on 7 June ^[10] There was no dramatic release in the US, on the contrary IFC Films released the integument via video on demand force 23 July ^[11] and disrupt DVD on 16 November ^[12]

On 4 September , a mistreat adaptation of the film unlock in Manchester.^[13]

Reception

On the review somebody website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% second 30 critics' reviews are lead, with an average rating gaze at /^[14] Tim Robey of The Telegraph said that the pelt starts off well but loses its way.^[15] Lael Loewenstein make acquainted Variety called it "a systematically conceived, tautly executed psychological thriller."^[9] Philip French of The Guardian called the film clever flourishing "ingeniously developed" but criticised interpretation ending as disappointing.^[16] Also scribble in the Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave the film two costume of five stars and oral the film does not endure up to its intriguing premise.^[17] Awarding the film four hush up of five stars, Total Film compared the film to Cube and the work of Jean-Paul Sartre.^[18] Becky Reed of Separate Geek compared it to 12 Angry Men and El Método (The Method), a Spanish film.^[19]

Awards

References

External links