Iteration 1 (2016) Movie Review

Today we dive into another maze-ish related short film from 2016, Iteration 1, directed by Jesse Lupini.

Iteration 1 (IMDB)

Iteration 1 movie poster

Here is the premise of the short film: A woman (played by Katharine Isabelle who you might know from Ginger Snaps) wakes up in a bed in the middle of a well-lit white room with black grids on the walls. She has 60 seconds to, well, after 60 seconds she collapses and everything resets. Her goal, although never stated is to find a way out of the place she is in (which is about as specific as I can get because it isn’t really clear except it is maze-like). Each time she awakens a voice declares the Iteration # she is on.

And it’s weird with little dialogue but actually fun to watch. You’ll find yourself telling the woman, hey, maybe try this (or that). Definitely worth a viewing ! I give it a 7/10 and suggest you invest the 14 minutes you will need to watch this film.

The best part about short films is you can often watch them for free on YouTube !!

Exit (2011) Movie Review

Today we dive into another maze related movie review, the 2011 Australian TV Movie Exit.

Exit (IMDB) (Amazon)

Exit movie poster

Here is the premise of Exit: groups of people wander around a city looking for a door that leads to an exit to another place, out of the maze of the city. They aren’t sure what this new place is or what it is like but they become obsessed with finding the door and getting there. Cool concept.

The best part about this movie by far is the cinematography with excellent sweeping views of the city landscape really capturing the essence of the place. It feels industrial and very much like a city of large grey buildings. The music also fits well and creates the appropriate mood.

The pace of the movie is a bit slow. I think that is because beyond long sections of dialogue, not much is really happening. Things are mysterious, but they never feel very tense or urgent. I think with a few tweaks this could have been a really good movie. Instead it’s average for what it is, a low budget sci-fi movie. A big budget remake with some action, a compelling dark antagonist, and a Dan Brown type puzzle unfolding makes this a big success. All you need is a couple million and Dan Brown to help with the script, that should be easy !!!!

I give it a 6.2/10.

The Depraved (2011) Movie Review

A group of people are led into the vast Berlin underground thru a secret entrance in a club by a local guide. That is the set-up for the movie The Depraved, so how is this horror movie and should you see it ?

The Depraved (IMDB) (Amazon)

The Depraved movie poster

If you are going to get lost in a maze-like space it’s always a good idea to make sure it is dark, damp, underground, and full of trash, rats and bugs. Because, naturally that makes for a better horror movie. Now if you are scoring at home, that is worth about 2 points (out of 10). Without getting into specifics about the plot there becomes a reason why the group needs to split up, because that is always a good idea in a horror movie that NEVER leads to any complications, EVER.

Now one thing about the version I watched was that the parts in German where not subtitled, but in a horror movie the context is enough to understand what is happening. There are a few versions on YouTube in other languages where you will not understand the German. I don’t think it hindered the “plot”. So how is the movie ? Terrible. 4/10.

Here is a trailer to get you pumped to NOT see this !

Andron (2015) Movie Review

What happens when you combine elements from Cube, The Matrix, The Maze Runner, and The Hunger Games into one movie? Do you get the greatest film of all time ? Let’s find out. I also want to mention that I found 2 different versions of the movie poster. One with Alec Baldwin and one without. Which do you prefer ?

Did it make my list of The 10 Best Maze Themed Movie Posters ?

Andron (IMDB) (Amazon)

Andron movie poster
Andron Movie poster

Also known as Andron: The Black Labyrinth the film starts with people awakening in an unknown place without any memory of why they are there (Cube). The place is very dark and industrial and set-up in a very confusing maze like fashion (The Maze Runner). Slowly they group (called contenders) finds out that only 1 of them can escape the maze and win their freedom (The Hunger Games). The game is controlled by evil corporations in the future and they are connected into a neural network (The Matrix). So then, this IS the greatest movie you have never seen right ?

No

It’s terrible. With bad effects, numerous plot holes, bad acting and really no character that you want to cheer for or against. The Bad guys go down like Storm troopers in outfits made by your aunties crafting group. The special effects give special a bad name. AVOID. 3/10.