Exhibit A (2007) is a found footage horror movie that trades ghosts and monsters for the real life horror of the breakdown and destruction of the everyday family. It tells the story of a very normal family that disintegrates under financial pressure and strain, eventually driving them to the unimaginable.
Unlike films that rely on heavy gore and violence for shock value, Exhibit A disturbs you because it feels so real and almost painfully grounded. A true grassroots indie film, director Dom Rotheroe shot the movie in a mere 18 days with minimal crew and the actors doing doing all their own camera work, adding to the raw and realistic vibe of the story it aims to tell.
In the movie, we’re introduced to Judith, who lives with her brother Joe, her dad Andy, and her mother Sheila in the UK. Judith is a photographer and likes to vlog, so she's given a new camera to replace one that she's broken. This gift makes Judith the unknowing documentarian of the collapse of her family, and this camera ultimately ends up being the evidence of the tragedy that comes with it.
The family overall seems extremely normal, happy, and well-adjusted, but you slowly see that unravel over the course of the film. Andy is trying to get a promotion at work to better their lives. However, the financial pressure as the primary breadwinner for his family, along with the additional stressors in the home, slowly drive him to disintegrate and lose touch with reality. He starts smoking and having more and more severe mood swings. He even decides on a whim to start building a swimming pool in the backyard, and he’ll dig the hole for it himself. That digging will come back into play later.
The family witnesses Andy come home in the middle of night one evening, covered in blood, claiming that his friend Ray was injured. Later on, the mom, Sheila, begins to suspect that's not necessarily what happened to Ray. As you might guess. Andy's behavior continues to escalate throughout the course of the movie, and you see the impact that it has on this family.
The movie is so jarring, because you’ll feel like you’ve heard this tale before — and that’s kind of the point. It's the type of story that you see play out on the news over and over again. People will say they “never would have suspected that it would come from such nice people”. You see this family, you see this home, and this could be your neighbors or your friends. They’re just very relatable people going through very common real world problems.
As is my normal disclaimer when it comes to found footage horror, know thyself. If you’re not a fan of the subgenre, this likely won’t change your mind. However, if you like this style of first-person storytelling and want a film that uses the medium in a different way than the typical ghost story, I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
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Watch the official trailer for Exhibit A (2007) and find the movie here.
If you’ve seen the film, leave a comment and tell me your thoughts!
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