EXscaped review

By Mark Young

I’m not going to come out and say it directly, but it is possible that EXscaped is a little rough and ready. Its one of those genre films that knows what it is and just attacks with a boat load of energy. The central character, V, is just unhinged, and Michelle DiBernado plays it with wild eyed abandon. The opening events that set the film up are dispatched quickly, and yes, you could argue that the acting is a little wooden, but come on, those of us of a certain age watched a ton of films like this in the 80s, in the hope that there would be some gnarly kills or nudity. Following the violent acts, she is committed to a secure institution and it’s here that the story unfolds. 

We are treated to bedside interviews between Veronica and the Doctors, which in itself is standard but the issue is that the performances are so leaden. I appreciate that the filmmakers are obviously trying to do a lot with not much, and for that I applaud them because there is no way I’d be able to do it. It is more of psychological thriller which delves into the realms of PTSD, and I think that if you can approach it as that as opposed to an out and out horror film, you might find it more to your liking. As you might have guessed, things don’t go too well during the course of her stay as this ‘institution’ is populated by some of the worse individuals ever engaged in the world of caring and are oblivious to her needs. Here, Michelle is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, the performance providing the base that everything else is built from. 

And of course it’s a case of from one fire into another as the action moves from the Institution to elsewhere as the tone changes, leaning more into that psychological side of things as off camera moments suggest there is more going on than is first thought. In this respect, it feels that this act has been dragged into play. The expected action takes its time and there is a lot of it is filler, there is no other way to say it, and drags interminably which leaves you crying out for something to happen. It all points to a climax which given the almost glacial pace of the film will unfold rapidly at the rate of knots and feel rushed. 

Ultimately, it’s a bright endeavour that is hampered by some ropey acting and an overlong runtime. A ruthless hand might have tightened this up so that it ran quicker but I can’t fault the adherence to the vision that Michelle has here. If you are hoping for gore, then look elsewhere.