Asylum (2008)

Asylum (2008) See below for preview images

This is a haunted house type movie.  It was originally planned to be released in theaters but, went straight to DVD instead.  I’m not sure why.  I think it may have done alright in the theaters.

The opening credits reveal disturbing images of a mental asylum and it’s suffering patients.  That right there was genius on the part of the director, David R. Ellis.

The story is basically as follows:

A group of freshman college students are fortunate enough to be the first residents in a new dorm on campus.  The dorm was once an insane asylum and the doctor who practiced there was definitely a madman.

These lucky students aren’t forced to attend a freshman orientation where they meet a total jerk who, I guess, is like the dorm resident supervisor.  Our cast of characters is the typical diverse stereo-type collection. 

And, one by one, as they try to settle into their new rooms in the dorm, they are confronted by the spirit of the doctor.  These students all have troubled pasts and are struggling in life.  The maniac doctor, in his time of practice, specialized in healing the exact type of young people these students are.

With each encounter they are forced back into their world of trauma and terror, forced to confront their darkest secrets and inner demons…and the doctor.

The movie is pretty good for an idea that has already been done time and time again.  The suspense wasn’t bad and the kill scenes were pretty good.  The doctor was definitely a creepy character and like all horror movies, there’s always a couple of people in the group you dislike and want to die first and there’s people you like and hope they make it to the end of the movie.

I will not tell you which ones live and which ones don’t.  I prefer you find out for yourself seeing as how there is a lot of explanation and twisty type things in the movie.  You will need to pay more attention than if it were a plain slasher film.  Things are explained throughout the whole movie.

I would say this is a movie anyone who likes horror could watch at least once.  It didn’t leave me feeling cheated or dissatisfied.  So, just have patience and let the movie unfold. It's also a great movie to watch if you like to warn the actors not to do things even if they can't hear you.  Enjoy!

RATINGS
3.5/5 Stars