The Atticus Institute
Anchor Bay Entertainment | Release Date: January 23, 2015
6.7
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
8
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
7
Meth-dudeApr 3, 2015
With a clever and original story,believable acting and truly suspenseful moments,this is by far one of the best "mockumentaries".The only bad point is that there is some things in the movie who remains with no explanations.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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10
eyeguyMay 11, 2015
I rated this a ten only because I crapped myself while watching it. My advice is don't watch this movie it will disturb you, what has been seen cannot be unseen and truly I am left in shock and have trouble sleeping.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
quincytheodoreMar 29, 2015
The Atticus Institute presents an interesting direction for possession subgenre with authentic documentary flair. The film portrayal of titular institution goes beyond average found footage gimmick, its understanding of the presentation makesThe Atticus Institute presents an interesting direction for possession subgenre with authentic documentary flair. The film portrayal of titular institution goes beyond average found footage gimmick, its understanding of the presentation makes it as though audience is watching real documentary from science channel. However, parts of the film aren't as consistently polished and these issues stutter the pace and occasionally derail the tension it has built.

Dr. Henry West (William Mapother) runs a small lab to research individuals said to have paranormal abilities. After a few failed endeavors, a woman named Judith Winstead (Rya Kihlstedt) is admitted to his lab. He and his colleagues have seen anything and anything like her, and the tests progress so sinisterly that eventually military is involved. Characters are pretty convincing at their roles, the use of exclusive camera footages without first hand interaction create credible effect.

The Atticus Institute offers several unnerving thrills, although the production has few technical flaws. Half of the movie is witnesses’ interviews, which sets up more psychological and scientific approach. At its best the film delivers timely bizarre occurrences that are effectively chilling. However, it doesn't pay off every time. These interviews can be tedious and predictable, especially since their testimonies alone aren't sufficient to produce tension.

At midway point it feels that characters are overly narrating, especially since the scenes they mention are only partially captured. The film also describes events with clips and still images, they are short and some even look like slideshows. While this enhances its pseudo-documentary feel, its production is shabby. Furthermore, there are fumbles on editing as well as audio clarity. These issues could've been just minor hiccups, yet they are persistent enough to hamper the movie.

The Atticus Institute has intriguing concepts, its clever style almost overcomes the genre familiarities, but ultimately the production isn't adequate enough to fully convey the suspense.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
inktomiMar 10, 2015
I will give this movie a 8/10 score as I thought it was a very smartly written, well directed and well filmed horror mockumentary. I will not give out spoilers for the movie to review it. The Atticus Institute is set in the mid 1970's and theI will give this movie a 8/10 score as I thought it was a very smartly written, well directed and well filmed horror mockumentary. I will not give out spoilers for the movie to review it. The Atticus Institute is set in the mid 1970's and the fashion, photograph and video quality reflects it. This level of detail gives it an air of legitimacy.

The acting was very believable, especially by William Mapother who plays the troubled Dr. West, head of the fictional Atticus Institute. However, as a mockumentary, there could have been other details thrown in as background of some of the members interviewed in which seemed like present day. A quick background sketch of who they were as well as how they are doing now would have given a deeper look into the people affected by the movies events.

At first when I started watching it I thought it was moving along a bit slow for my tastes. Yet, the movie starts picking up and at certain points Chris Sparling, who directed as well as wrote the movie, successfully built up the tension and the pace of the movie. He did a good job of keeping me riveted to the screen, anxious of what was going to happen next. The way the actors delivered their lines in the cut away scenes of present day interviews helped me anticipate the next scene.

Chris Sparling who has also directed ATM as well as the 2010 underground sleeper hit Buried creates a stark and realistic picture of how bad the government can screw up paranormal phenomena if they were to get involved. On a rainy tuesday night when I was looking for something fresh and interesting, I was very happy I found The Atticus Institute.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
DuduziuzMar 30, 2015
Eu gostei do formato "mockumentary" do filme. Embora não tenho muito como fugir daquilo que a gente sempre espera de um filme de possessão, foi capaz de manter minha atenção para saber o que ia acontecer. E, ainda que não seja assustador, éEu gostei do formato "mockumentary" do filme. Embora não tenho muito como fugir daquilo que a gente sempre espera de um filme de possessão, foi capaz de manter minha atenção para saber o que ia acontecer. E, ainda que não seja assustador, é um filme interessante! Parecia que estava mesmo vendo um documentário real!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
LowbrowCinemaAug 23, 2015
Possession meets the military industrial complex! WOW. You'd think THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE would be just a total mess but it's not. Surprisingly effective and anchored by a number of really terrific performances especially from Rya Kihlstedt asPossession meets the military industrial complex! WOW. You'd think THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE would be just a total mess but it's not. Surprisingly effective and anchored by a number of really terrific performances especially from Rya Kihlstedt as the possessed woman at the center of it. A really nice discovery.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
cocomomAug 21, 2015
I gave this movie a nine. The "found footage" genre might be cliche but this was chilling, perhaps because I'm a person of faith? Maybe, but my personal belief in God along with the belief that Satan/evil exists made the film's premise trulyI gave this movie a nine. The "found footage" genre might be cliche but this was chilling, perhaps because I'm a person of faith? Maybe, but my personal belief in God along with the belief that Satan/evil exists made the film's premise truly frightening to me & the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I think it's worth the watch, I recommend it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
JLuis_001Sep 7, 2017
The subject could have been better developed, the theme was pretty good and the film itself manages to make you believe that you're watching a real documentary but the rest is kinda lousy.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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