Exhibit A (film)

Last updated

Exhibit A
DVD cover for the 2007 film Exhibit A.jpeg
Directed byDom Rotheroe
Written by
Produced byDarren Bender
Starring
Cinematography Rob Hardy
Edited byDavid Charap
Distributed by Warp Films
Release date
  • October 1, 2007 (2007-10-01) [1]
Running time
85 min
LanguageEnglish

Exhibit A is a 2007 British independent psychological thriller film directed by Dom Rotheroe and produced by Darren Bender for Warp Films. The film is an example of the found footage genre and stars Bradley Cole, Brittany Ashworth, Angela Forrest and Oliver Lee. It was filmed on location in Yorkshire and Suffolk [2] and released on 1 October 2007 at the Raindance Film Festival. [1] It was the last film that prolific stuntman Roy Alon worked on. [3]

Contents

Plot

Judith King lives with her father Andy, mother Sheila, and brother Joe in the United Kingdom. Judith uses a video camera gifted to her to document her troubles; she is gay and has not yet come out to her family, and she has a crush on Claire, a teenage girl across the street. She often spies on Claire and films her from the bedroom window. On a trip to see their new house, Judith tries to convince Andy not to make the family move away, but is unable to tell him about her crush on Claire.

Andy is chasing a promotion but financial strain and familial pressure cause him to behave erratically. One night, Andy comes home covered in blood and claims that his colleague Ray has suffered a facial injury. It appears likely that Andy is not going to get the promotion nor be able to sell the house, and this causes him further mental distress. Shelia and Joe begin to frequently argue with Andy. One night, Judith hides in the garden and Andy tries to grab her; she screams and runs back inside, locking the door behind her in her bedroom.

Andy impulsively builds a new swimming pool and the Kings hold a pool party during their open house. A disfigured Ray shows up uninvited, getting angry and nearly attacking Andy, who escorts him outside. Judith secretly films their confrontation. Ray blames Andy for his injury and accuses him of trying to steal his job, revealing that Andy has been lying to the family about the future of his career and that Ray got the promotion over him. Andy later discovers that Judith has been filming his behavioral issues.

Unable to afford their new dream house, the Kings hole up in their old house. Appalled, Sheila goes to work and Joe and Judith go to school. Andy explores the house and discovers that Sheila favours Joe over Judith as a result of post-natal depression she suffered. He finds that Joe has a stash of illegal drugs, a video of Joe receiving oral sex and a secret shrine to Claire that Judith has built. On camera, Andy admits that he was the one who hurt Ray to try and get the promotion while Ray was incapacitated.

That night they are woken up by a smoke alarm and discover that Andy has locked all the doors and windows. He then reveals everything he has discovered about the dysfunctional family, including Judith's secret infatuation with Claire. Shelia and Joe give Andy an ultimatum - either they leave or Andy does. An angry Sheila also reveals that years ago she secretly aborted her third pregnancy because she feared Andy.

The next day, Judith returns home from a visit with Claire to discover that her father is about to commit suicide. Despite her embrace, Andy chokes her before murdering Joe. Sheila witnesses Andy over the bodies and begins to scream, only for Andy to murder her as well. A sobbing Andy declares he is going to be reunited with his family. He hits the camera, causing it to roll in front of Judith's face, which reveals that she is still alive. Andy then hits and breaks the camera one final time, leaving Judith's fate unknown.

The film then cuts, showing the family on the beach together, before Andy notices the camera and shuts it off.

Cast

Release

The film previewed at film festivals internationally throughout 2007 and 2008 with screenings at the Raindance Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Sofia International Film Festival and Febiofest Prague, [4] and then received a limited cinematic release. The film became available on DVD in USA on 16 March 2010, the UK on 21 June 2010, [5] and available to stream online through the video on demand service MUBI in September 2010. [6]

Awards and reception

The film received a positive critical reception on its release. The film was awarded the title of 'Best UK Feature' at the Raindance Film Festival [7] and was subsequently nominated in three categories — 'Best Newcomer', 'The Raindance Award', and 'Best Achievement in Production' at the British Independent Film Awards. [8] Reviews have described the film variously as "a masterpiece of gradually escalating horror" [9] and, "an ingenious and compelling thriller", [10] with emphasis falling on the performances of the actors Bradley Cole and Brittany Ashworth, who give "stand out turns". [11]

Related Research Articles

Gee Vaucher is a visual artist primarily associated with the anarcho-punk band Crass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Denis</span> French film director

Claire Denis is a French film director and screenwriter. Her feature film Beau Travail (1999) has been called one of the greatest films of the 1990s and of all time. Other acclaimed works include Trouble Every Day (2001), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), White Material (2009), High Life (2018) and Both Sides of the Blade (2022), the last of which won her the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival. For her film Stars at Noon (2022), Denis competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. She won the Grand Prix, sharing the award with Lukas Dhont's film Close.

Warp Films is an independent film and television production company based in Sheffield and London, England, UK.

<i>Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins</i> 2000 American animated film by Tad Stones

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins is a 2000 American animated science fiction comedy film directed by Tad Stones, who is also the producer with Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. It serves as a spin-off of the Toy Story franchise and released on direct-to-video in the United States on August 8, 2000. The film later led to a television series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, which aired on UPN and ABC from October 2000 to January 2001, and Pixar's feature film, Lightyear, which was theatrically released in the United States in June 2022, serving as an origin story for the character, voiced by Chris Evans. The film was nominated for two Video Premiere Awards: Best Animated Video Premiere and Best Animated Character Performance for Tim Allen.

<i>Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure</i> 1977 film by Richard Williams

Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure is a 1977 live-action/animated musical fantasy film loosely adapted from the 1924 novel Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees. It was directed by Richard Williams, produced by the Bobbs-Merrill Company, and released theatrically by 20th Century-Fox. A 1941 short film had previously featured the Raggedy Ann and Andy characters created by Johnny Gruelle. It was the first feature-length animated musical comedy film produced in the United States. In the film, Raggedy Ann and Andy, along with other toys, live in Marcella's nursery. During Marcella's seventh birthday, Babette, a doll from France, is introduced as the new doll from a large package. Meanwhile, Captain Contagious kidnaps Babette in the pirate ship and escapes from the nursery. Raggedy Ann and Andy have to explore and find Babette in the Deep Deep Woods to save her.

<i>Heat</i> (1972 film) 1972 film by Paul Morrissey, produced by Andy Warhol

Heat is a 1972 American comedy drama film written and directed by Paul Morrissey, produced by Andy Warhol, and starring Joe Dallesandro, Sylvia Miles and Andrea Feldman. The film was conceived by Warhol as a parody of the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard. It is the final installment of the "Paul Morrissey Trilogy" produced by Warhol, following Flesh (1968) and Trash (1970).

<i>The Purple Monster Strikes</i> 1945 film by Fred C. Brannon, Spencer Gordon Bennet

The Purple Monster Strikes is a 1945 Republic Movie serial. It was also released as a Century 66 television film under the title D-Day on Mars (1966).

<i>Fever Pitch</i> (1997 film) 1997 British film

Fever Pitch is a 1997 film starring Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell, based loosely on Nick Hornby's best-selling memoir, Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life (1992).

<i>Archies Final Project</i> 2009 American film

Archie's Final Project is a 2009 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by David Lee Miller and written by Miller, Eric J. Adams, and Gabriel Sunday, who also served as second unit director, additional camera operator, and music editor along with starring in, co-editing, and co-producing the film. It won the best feature film prize for the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival's youth film section Generation 14plus. Music producers Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony and actor Harold Ramis served as executive producers, It received a limited theatrical release in the United States on September 23, 2011, and was released to home media on December 6, 2011.

<i>Dolores Claiborne</i> (film) 1995 film by Taylor Hackford

Dolores Claiborne is a 1995 American psychological thriller drama film directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, and David Strathairn. The screenplay by Tony Gilroy is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Stephen King. The plot focuses on the strained relationship between a mother and her daughter, largely told through flashbacks, after her daughter arrives to her remote hometown on a Maine island where her mother has been accused of murdering the elderly woman for whom she had long been a care-provider and companion.

<i>Sons and Lovers</i> (film) 1960 British film

Sons and Lovers is a 1960 British period drama film directed by Jack Cardiff and adapted by Gavin Lambert and T. E. B. Clarke from the semi-autobiographical 1913 novel of the same name by D. H. Lawrence. It stars Trevor Howard, Dean Stockwell, Wendy Hiller, Mary Ure, and Heather Sears.

<i>A Bride for Henry</i> 1937 film by William Nigh

A Bride for Henry is a 1937 American romantic drama film directed by William Nigh based on the Josephine Bentham short story of the same name that was published in Liberty magazine. Authors such as James Cox and Kylo-Patrick Hart have cited A Bride for Henry as within a subgenre of screwball comedies termed "sentimental comedy", where plots deal with domestic struggles but avoid true threats of adultery and ultimately defend marriage. The formation of the Production Code Administration (PCA) hastened the production of sentimental comedies; others include Maybe It's Love (1935), Three Married Men (1936), and Wife, Doctor, and Nurse (1937).

<i>The Town</i> (2010 film) 2010 American crime thriller film directed by Ben Affleck

The Town is a 2010 American crime thriller film co-written and directed by Ben Affleck, adapted from Chuck Hogan's 2004 novel Prince of Thieves. The film stars Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper and Slaine. Its plot follows a Boston bank robber who begins to develop romantic feelings for a victim of one of his previous robberies, while he and his crew set out to get one final score by robbing Fenway Park.

<i>Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader</i> 2012 American film

Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader is a 2012 American 3D science fiction comedy horror film directed by Kevin O'Neill and produced by Roger Corman as his first 3D production. The film stars Treat Williams, Sean Young, Olivia Alexander and Jena Sims. The film was released on August 25, 2012, on Epix.

<i>Curse of Chucky</i> 2013 American slasher film by Don Mancini

Curse of Chucky is a 2013 American slasher film and the sixth installment of the Child's Play franchise. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini, who created the franchise and wrote the first six films. It stars Fiona Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Brennan Elliott, Maitland McConnell, Chantal Quesnelle, Summer Howell, A Martinez, and Brad Dourif. The film grossed $3.8 million in DVD sales.

<i>Like Sunday, Like Rain</i> 2014 American film

Like Sunday, Like Rain is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Frank Whaley, and distributed by Monterey Media. The film stars Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Julian Shatkin in his debut. The film follows a cello prodigy, Reggie, and his latest caretaker, Eleanor, as they develop a friendship over the course of a summer in New York City.

<i>Rebellious Daughters</i> 1938 American film

Rebellious Daughters is a 1938 American crime drama film. It was the first feature film directed by Jean Yarbrough, and starred Marjorie Reynolds. The film's producer was Ben Judell of Progressive Pictures, known for low-budget exploitation films with provocative titles; other films released by Progressive the same year included Delinquent Parents and Slander House.

<i>In Fabric</i> 2018 British horror comedy film

In Fabric is a 2018 British horror film, written and directed by Peter Strickland, and starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Leo Bill, and Gwendoline Christie. The film follows a haunted red dress as it torments various owners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brittany Ashworth</span> English actress

Brittany Francine Ashworth is an English actress. She began her career in the film Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution and the ITV drama Mobile. She has since starred in the films The Crucifixion and Hostile, as well as The Ledge (2022). She also had a recurring role in the BBC and HBO series Industry (2022).

References

  1. 1 2 "Exhibit A | Raindance Film Festival 2007". Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  2. "Exhibit A available on Distrify and VODO". Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013. Exhibit A filmed partly in Leeds and was supported by Screen Yorkshire through its Production Fund.
  3. Looch, Cassam. "Budget defying films". movievortex.com. Movie Vortex. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014.
  4. "Release info". IMDb via www.imdb.com.
  5. "Exhibit A: Now available on DVD". warp.net. WARP. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014.
  6. Wiseman, Andreas (7 September 2010). "Online platform MUBI picks up UK thriller Exhibit A". ScreenDaily.com. Screen International.
  7. "Festival Archive | Raindance Film Festival 2012". Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  8. "Exhibit A | the British Independent Film Awards". Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  9. "BFI - Sight & Sound - September 2010". old.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012.
  10. "Exhibit A (2007) Movie Review from Eye for Film". www.eyeforfilm.co.uk.
  11. Martin, Paul (27 May 2011). "Free movies: British trio light up Indie". indiemoviesonline.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013.