The Subjects (2015)

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)Rating: 3.4/5 starsThere's something quite different about writer-director Robert Mond's self-professed "anti-superhero" movie, "The Subjects". This energetic, low-budget venture strips away the romantic idea that superpower-enhanced humans are blessed by fate and views them instead as lab rats embroiled in a cause out of their control.The film is a single-setting thriller that revolves around a group of strangers trapped in a soundproof studio. They have agreed to be here in the name of science – or more bluntly, to earn an easy US$ 800 by swallowing a pill and staying in a room for eight hours while being observed by a video camera. This is a clinical trial put on by pharmaceutical company SunSkye, which has brought together a tapestry of mostly familiar personalities. There's the girl next door Nikki (Katharine Innes), potty-mouthed brute Giggles (Frank Magree), air-headed party-goer Jenna (Emily Wheaton), chilled out dude Corey (Paul Henri), "time is money" straight-talker Devin (Spencer McLaren), nervous introvert Lilly (Charlotte Nicdao) and, magician/con-man John (Paul O'Brien).Giggles has participated in these kind of trials before and is convinced the group is swallowing placebos. But necking a bunch of dud pills does not an interesting movie make; the story really kicks into gear when complaints about an upset tummy result in one of the characters spontaneously combusting about 20 minutes in. From then on it's a wild ride, built around constantly surprising the audience and offering them something quite different (though undoubtedly inspired by the multitude of superhero fare playing at the local multiplexes – some really good, some decent, and some other just plain bad).Characters develop incredible powers and must quickly come to terms with them in a universe incompatible with training montages or cheesy speeches about great power coming with great responsibility. Interactions between the cast do feel a bit labored – there's lots of macho babble between the blokes – and the story takes a while to loosen up and make the most of its interesting ideas.But when an extra cast member unexpectedly appears, it becomes clear how much thought Mond has invested in his screenplay, particularly its structure, which is more intelligent than it initially appears. Experimentation with time travel, teleportation, and the impact new superpowers have are among the film's most interesting thought- bubbles.Where "The Subjects" really falters is in its technical aspects. It's lit and graded blandly and brightly – a moodier or higher contrast look might have better suited the script's dark elements. It could have also done with a better background score and more realistic sound effects in places.However, "The Subjects" works an antidote to the standard-rate, cookie cutter superhero format audiences know all too well. It's presented in a colorful way and loaded with kooky ideas. And while budgetary constraints are apparent – particularly in the special effects – so is Mond's madly inventive brainstorming, which approaches the superhero genre with refreshing ambition. Worth a watch for his uniquely refreshing take on the tried-and-tested superhero genre alone.

It was a pretty innocuous 80 minutes not one I would look at twice. I reviewed it because of all the fake reviews here that really spoil IMDb. The acting was not exactly brilliant and some of the dialogue was very forced and unrealistic. I guess they were trying to do a Chronicle type film but really did not have either the budget or the talent.The invisible bloke was funny and I did like the twist at the end but that was about it really.Threadbare script with really dull set pieces of not very good dialogue to pad it out over the hour. No real merit to it, just there, and nothing really to distinguish it from the hundreds of other movies that appear on here with glowing reviews but are in reality not very good.If you want to kill an hour or so watch it by all means but there are a lot better films of this type to occupy your time with.

This is one of the best independent movies I've seen a long time. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it is fast paced and keeps you totally absorbed. While this is a thriller, it is also really funny. It's funny seeing other comments about 'studio reviews' because what makes this movie so awesome is it is clearly not a studio movie!It is an original concept that questions many of the sci-fi conventions that we are used to seeing with fresh cast who play off each other well. The cast have the right amount of tension during the beginning of the movie (they are a random selection of people for a medical trial) leading to great chemistry later in the film as the plot progresses.What is so impressive about the script is the way it questions common movie tropes while also providing an awesome set of twists and turns during the frenetic second half. Commenting on effects really misses the point here! This is really awesome stuff - the type of creativity that usually only occurs in independent film where they can't rely on effects to make up for story. This movie deserves a cult following and is highly recommended!! 9/10

It has to be tough to make a movie. But this movie was just plain tough to sit through. Most of the actors are irritating at best. Some of the "superpowers" were difficult to comprehend. Color changing finger nails, an overactive digestive system, and Mr. Touchy Feely. What was Robert Mond thinking? My Rolex held my interest more than this B grade flick, as I could not wait for it to be over.The premise of the movie is good, and certainly held more potential than what eventually evolved. Mr. Mond could have elaborated a bit more about Nikki's "power", as this viewer was stumped as to what exactly she was capable of, and what happened when she eliminated the godlike Corey. If Mr. Mond set out to create a suspense filled sci-fi, I think he failed.