Exhibit A (2007)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Better Late Then Never

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The acting in this is terrific all the way around. Since most all FF films are acted out based on an outline and dialogue points to it, you see a LOT of cuts since the actors mess up their "lines." Not here. Other than the natural cuts from scene to scene, there is very little in-scene cutting, meaning the actors delivered and met their marks.My only problems with the film are that I never really got a sense why the father fell so far from sanity. Many people have gone through financial struggles without losing their minds, and I never got the sense the father was on edge, mentally, to do what he does at the end.And the ending simply went on too long. It was the one time when the film lagged when usually the end is when these FF films pick up and race toward the climax.Overall, a really well done job all the way around.

I am really shocked to see how many average to great reviews and ratings this piece of trash has. The majority must be associated with the film, or have never watched a good movie in their life. The premise sounded like something a little different in the found footage genre, but alas, it was the same old story just with different characters. Not only do the characters devolve during the movie, but so does the plot. It's like in the second half they completely forgot what was established in the beginning of the picture. The acting was over-dramatic, especially by the parents, and lacked any believability. The story and direction spiraled downhill faster than the disintegration of the family unit. An utter waste of time, even if you're a found footage fan.

The found footage genre gets quite a lot of stick. Admittedly it does feel like a new found footage horror film is churned out every week and most of them feel like the same film. Some are quite brilliant though. REC, is probably the finest example the sub-genre has to offer and the criminally under seen Noroi: The Curse is probably the scariest film I have ever sat through. I had never heard of Exhibit A until I stumbled across it on a list which featured the scariest found footage movie moments. Because I'm a twisted individual, the idea of a family crumbling in front of their own camcorder appealed to me and so I sought it out immediately.I made a point of reading very little about it because it clearly had a shocking ending which I didn't want spoilt. I'd urge everyone else to do the same, however if you do know the ending outcome, don't worry because it's still worth the watch. It's a wonderful idea for a found footage film. There are no Spanish zombies, or Blair witches and there are no Norwegian trolls either. It's all about a regular nuclear family, probably not dissimilar to yours or someone you know and that's where the disturbing horror really lies.The film has obviously (and probably literally) been made on a shoestring, but it's all the more authentic for it. Exhibit A could've easily turned into an embarrassing PSHCE film if it felt false, but thankfully it doesn't. It helps that the performances are so good, especially by the Dad who doesn't have an easy role to play at all. The Mum sometimes felt a little wooden, but towards the end she crucially pulls out a powerful and authentic performance.The trouble with most found footage films is that they don't actually feel like they've been found. Diary of the Dead, for example uses multiple cameras and even has music playing over some scenes! Exhibit A is by far the most 'real' found footage film I've seen. They've obviously shot on an actual cheap camcorder and used a lot of improvisation. You buy into the story and actually begin to feel like you know the characters, thus you care about what happens to them.Exhibit A is about a man slowly cracking under financial pressures. It starts out comically with lots of funny and warm family moments. I also liked how we got to uncover lots of little things about Judith, the daughter who does the majority of the filming. In the end it becomes a film about secrets and how every family has them. There's a great moment mid-way through where the film starts to take an uneasy turn into psychological horror. What begins as the Dad trying to humorously stage a video for You've Been Framed becomes a desperate act of anger, verging on insanity.It's a very slow film to get going, with a lot of unnecessary scenes which slow the film down, however this does add to the authenticity of it all. It's the final half hour where things take a disturbing turn and it becomes gripping to watch. The final five minutes are an incredibly harrowing watch. It has imagery that will sear its way into your brain and stay there for a long time.Exhibit A is a great no budget horror film. It basically tells the same disturbing tale as Michael Haneke's striking debut, The Seventh Continent. Whilst, Exhibit A isn't as mind-numbingly depressing as The Seventh Continent, it is almost as effect. The acting is great and features some very powerful scenes which will stay with you. It may be a little slow to begin, but it's well worth sticking with as you feel immersed in the life of this family. It's a remarkable little film which deserves way more attention than it has received.

Probably the most underrated film I've stumbled across on IMDb. I can only assume the mediocre rating is a knee-jerk response to the fact that it's 'found footage'.. (or maybe people went into it expecting more of a horror movie?) Far from gimmickry, the medium lends quite a bit of weight to the story. Not a single unconvincing performance in the bunch, the dad in particular was brilliant.Not sure what the other reviewer meant about the second half... the scenario didn't fall out of the writers ass, this kind of thing happens all the time... and like I said, the performances were more than convincing.5 years and only 8 user reviews and 277 ratings? 5.5? really?? I shouldn't have to find out about movies like this by accident.edit: I have to reiterate... there's nothing even remotely unbelievable about the fathers descent into madness. Anyone whose ever witnessed a someone crumble and lose their sh*t, especially a family member... this will be difficult to watch. My heart was thumping like mad during the last 15-20 minutes or so of this movie. I was genuinely affected.