Exam (2009)

• Not rated
• 101 mins
• HD
• I rated 4 stars (Really Liked It)

Initial Thoughts:
This one came my way by Netflix's suggestions; while I'm usually dubious of their system, I thought the premise was entertaining. Again, the notion of watching an unknown quantity with unknown actors intrigued me. 

Movie:
The gist is, we know nothing of anything the whole movie, and society brakes down.

We start with eight candidates dressed in their finest clothes preparing to take an exam for a prestigious job. The proctor (called the Invigilator) gives the rules for the exam. Pay close attention to what he says. Before leaving the Invigilator asks, "Are there any questions?"

The test begins and it's only the candidates facing what has to be a two-way mirror and a lone security guard at the door. As they all look at their provided materials, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary test. The paper is blank, so everyone is sort of looking at it and wondering what the hell to do with it. One woman picks up the provided pencil and starts writing on it, and is immediately disqualified (one of the rules is: do not spoil your paper).

Upon seeing this, the tall white guy near the back perks up and figures out that there's no rule against talking amongst themselves. This is where everything goes to pot.

Tall white guy leads them on a destruction spree in order to "solve" the exam, breaking lights, holding people hostage, and other general mayhem. By the end, there are only a few candidates left. The Invigilator comes back and in a destroyed room, with a few candidates injured, announces that one is the winner -- and says almost nothing of the carnage.

Afterthoughts:
It's a great film; it kept me guessing the whole time. At the same time,  it's shocking to see what how the different candidates handled the stress. If the sentiment holds true to real-life, it doesn't bode well for us. Also, there's a nice little twist that you might not guess. The shocking story lines do well to cover it up.