“Who am i?” /”Come and play with me” / “What if we have made a mistake?” / “I long to kill him” / “To overcome that bond” / “Where are you going?” / “Look at you. You are prefect” / “Help me…”

An unknown foreign city.
A young woman is thrown from the back of a van.
A few miles away, a man, wakes floating face down in a cold river.

Experiment is a dark psychological thriller from first-time feature film director Dan Turner. Principally filmed in Prague during 2004, Experiment is a dark and atmospheric thriller, evocativley shot using the latest High Definition technology for $250,000. A Magician Picture Ltd production.

As with other low budget features, Experiment does not rely on star talent or big budget special effects. Instead it has been made as a tense and gripping experience, packed with shocking twists and suprises.

From the very start this movie has promise simply from it’s premise. Two people wake up in a strange city, no memories, confused, tired and scared. Each scene is beautifully rendered, which comes across moreso because of the high definition. The beginning is slow but gradually builds up until it reaches boiling point.

It reminds me distinctly of the way Alfred Hitchcock worked his films. He almost bored his audience for a while, then wham, he hits you with that special suprise he was keeping up his sleeve. I have to admit, too, that I actually jumped in a couple of places - which shows the movie’s shockability, as I’m a hardened movie viewer of the shock genre.

Georgina French’s (Anna) relative acting inexperience made her come across perfectly as the innocent childlike young woman lost and alone. John Hopkins (Morgan) is a strong actor who came across as very realistic and powerful. On screen together they complimented each other as they learned to trust themselves.

Nick Simons (Joseph) plays an old man plagued by memories of his family’s death. This sways his decision to be involved in work he otherwise might not have participated in. He is under certain apprehensions which utimately are proved to be wrong. Nick’s character changes as the movie progresses and thus his acting changes. A very diverse character and actor.

The other players are pretty sterotypical although each are played well. Clive Ashborn (Goran) is just plain scary. He has reduced dialogue which is a plus. His intentions and thoughts come across through what he doesn’t say and how his face fills in the blanks. David Grant (Walker) is a smooth, calculating guy. It is his ‘little baby’ which everyone is involved in. Andrew Byron (Stefan) was originally a much smaller part on printed paper, but once Andrew took hold of the character he became more and more. And hence the director found himself using him much more.

Directed by Dan Turner - “I want people to leave the cinema feeling emotionally and mentally exhausted, like they have been on a very dark roller coaster ride.”

Produced by Clare Deacon - She met the challenge of co-ordinating and producing the film on a relatively low budget, across two countries with a multi-language cast and crew.

Prague was a first class choice for the location shooting. It is a mixture of old and new buildings. The old buildings being almost gothic in appearance as Prague wasn’t really a target during World War II, so the older building are still standing. I don’t believe that during the movie they actually mention that it is Prague, so it’s 50/50 as to whether the actual place in the movie is supposed to be Prague or a ‘generic city’. With it’s small alleys, beautiful buildings, the river and ornate bridges they add atmosphere. The play on light and dark is subtley used too. One minute it will be bright sunshine the next we are taken into gloom.

It goes to show a low budget film can be worth more than a multi million pound / cgi infested film. It is the script, dialogue, acting and locations that propel this movie along. In summary: A Hitchcockian type suspense film (with a sprinkling of sci-fi) for the 21st century. Brilliant.

Experiment the movie has been shown around the world at various Film Festivals. It has racked up some impressive (and justified) awards: Winner Best Sci-Fi Feature / Shriekfest Film Festival 2005, Winner Best Sci-Fi Feature / Shockerfest Film Festival 2005, Winner Best Sci-Fi Feature / Winnipeg International Film Festival 2005. At the time of writing I am unsure of whether this movie is Festival Only. I would hope that it will be distributed to the general public.

See the Experiment Movie Official Site for news, trailers, movie information and a weblog from the director.