The Institute (2017 film)

Last updated
The Institute
The Institute 2017 film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by James Franco
Pamela Romanowsky
Written byAdam Rager
Matt Rager
Produced by
  • James Franco
  • Luke Daniels
  • Kurt Fethke
  • Jeffrey Greenstein
  • Vince Jolivette
  • Alan Pao
  • Scott Reed
  • Jeff Rice
  • Jonathan Yunger
Starring
CinematographyPedro Gómez Millán
Edited byEvan Ahlgren, Aaron I. Butler
Music by
Production
companies
  • Jeff Rice Films
  • Redwire Pictures
  • Campbell Grobman Films
  • Dark Rabbit Productions
Distributed byEagle Films
Release date
  • March 3, 2017 (2017-03-03)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Institute is a 2017 American horror thriller film co-directed by Pamela Romanowsky and James Franco. It is based on a true story of a young girl's treatment at The Rosewood Institute in Owings Mills, Maryland, and stars Franco, Allie Gallerani, Tim Blake Nelson, and Lori Singer. The film was released on March 3, 2017. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

Baltimore, 1893: young Isabel Porter checks herself into the Rosewood Institute, following the sudden death of her parents, and is subjected to extreme experiments in brainwashing and mind control by the insidious Dr. Cairn.[ citation needed ]

Cast

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 0% based on reviews from 5 critics, with an average rating of 2.50/10 rating. [2]

Both RogerEbert.com [3] and Slant Magazine gave the film one star out of four, with the later writing "The Institute seems constantly on the verge of dipping into spoof, though of what exactly is difficult to say". [4]

Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times dismissed the film as 'silly' and added that "the mishmash of a script by Adam and Matt Rager is filled with arch attempts at period dialogue and much psychobabble. Franco and Romanowsky's unsubtle direction doesn’t help." [5]

Matt Donato of Film Journal International also was not impressed with the film, criticizing the script, direction and approach to the material, saying that "watching The Institute, you'll feel caught in a musty chamber with no escape, slowed by wolfsbane serums that beckon the deepest of sleep. No prescription will cure what ails this botched indie experiment". [6]

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References

  1. Busch, Anita (January 31, 2017). "James Franco's 'The Institute' Gets March 3 Release Date". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  2. "The Institute (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  3. Tallerico, Brian (March 3, 2017). "The Institute". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  4. Dillard, Clayton (March 2, 2017). "Review: The Institute". Slate Magazine .
  5. Goldstein, Gary (March 2, 2017). "Co-star/co-director James Franco's gothic thriller 'The Institute' is more silly than chilly". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  6. "Film Review: The Institute - Film Journal International". www.filmjournal.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.