The Institute

Got baby fever?  Just how far would you go to have one?  Oh, really?  Well, this film might cure that desire for good.  

Within the opening seconds of The Institute, an unspeakable horror is unleashed upon a very pregnant young woman.  She is trapped in a neon-soaked cavern and all these mysterious hands are floating out of the darkness to rip her unborn baby from her womb.  Whoa.  Just what the hell is going on in her mind to cause such a vision?!

"From voyeurism to paralysis, nothing is off limits"


 

Turns out, when she wakes up from the nightmare, we are in the midst of a continuing drama as The Sullivans, Marie (Victorya Brandart) and Daniel (Ignacyo Matynia), struggle to conceive a child.  From herbal remedies to third and fourth opinions, they might not be ready to give up, but they are willing to try anything . . . 

. . . which brings them to The Institute.  It is a title that is simply dripping with B-movie atmosphere and, yes, it rightly delivers in all the madness and the sex that we expect to follow.  This place is perfect for B-grade shenanigans, and it is handled with just the right attitude and appreciation.

Written and directed by critically acclaimed playwright Hamza Zaman, this frightening tale about obstacles in the path to a couple’s happiness is both a frightening cautionary tale and a psychological thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat as desperation has both Daniel and Marie turning to the dark web for answers and what they discover will chill you to the b-b-b-bone.

Starring Ignacyo Matynia (A Good Cop), Victorya Brandart (The Bay), Mark Lobene, Joy Donze, Claire McClain, Louisa Bradshaw, Jarred Harper and Grammy and Emmy award-winner John Easterlin, The Institute asks the question, "how far would you go to have a child?" and then documents just how far one couple puts themselves through in their desperation to have a child.  The treatment, beginning almost two hours outside of Brooklyn, is at a renowned doctor’s secluded facility.  It will be their home for the next couple of months . . . concerned yet?  You should be.  

Just what in the name of cult orgies is going on here?!?!The Institute

Reproductive sciences have never been so . . . bizarre.  Just sit back.  Hold tight and brace yourself for the truth about The Institute.  From voyeurism to paralysis, nothing is off limits to the doctor at the center of this mysterious place.  Just what is he up to?  Like some of the classic “mad scientist” roles from the B-movie heyday of yesterday, Dr. Arthur Lands (a very creepy Lobene) has no problem sticking his subjects with really BIG needles while grinning maniacally.  

This low budget throwback tells of a young couple, desperate to have a child, that begin treatment at a renowned doctor's secluded facility. The couple becomes suspicious when the medical regimen brings on psychological side effects and tries to learn the truth about The Institute and all its hidden cameras.  What secrets lurk within these walls?

Produced by Headless Films, Whiptail Wallaby Productions and Conducive Productions. The Institute will be released on multiple VOD platforms, Satellite & Cable networks and on Blu-Ray\DVD at select retailers on March 22.

Welcome to Paradise?

3/5 stars

 

Film Details

The Institute

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:

Director
: Hamza Zaman
Writer:
Hamza Zaman
Cast:
Ignacyo Matynia; Hamza Zaman; Victorya Brandart
Genre
: Thriller
Tagline:

Memorable Movie Quote:
 Distributor: Headless Films, Whiptail Wallaby Productions and Conducive Productions
Official Site:
Release Date: March 22, 2022
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis:The film tells of a young couple, desperate to have a child, that begin treatment at a renowned doctor's secluded facility. The couple becomes suspicious when the medical regimen brings on psychological side effects and try to learn the truth about The Institute.

Art

The Hustle (2019)