The Conspiracy (2012 film)

Last updated
The Conspiracy
Poster for The Conspiracy (2012 Film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChristopher MacBride
Written byChristopher MacBride
Produced byLee Kim
Starring Aaron Poole
James Gilbert
CinematographyIan Anderson
Edited byAdam Locke-Norton
Christopher MacBride
Music byDarren Baker
Production
companies
Resolute Films and Entertainment
Distributed byXLRator
Release date
Running time
84 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Conspiracy is a 2012 Canadian found footage conspiracy thriller horror film written and directed by Christopher MacBride. It features actors Aaron Poole, James Gilbert, Alan C. Peterson, and Julian Richings. [2] It tells the story of two documentary filmmakers who set out to create a film about a conspiracy theorist named "Terrance G" who disappears during the making of the film. The two filmmakers are subsequently drawn into the world of a global syndicate whose aims and machinations are clouded in secrecy.

Contents

Plot

After watching an online video that mocks a local conspiracy theorist, filmmakers Aaron and Jim decide to make a documentary about him. The man, Terrance G., agrees to show them the various newspaper clippings that he has collected and that he uses to draw connections between significant historical events, including World War I and the September 11 attacks. Impressed with the depth of his research, Aaron begins to sympathize with Terrance, while Jim remains skeptical. During an interview, Terrance becomes agitated and points out a man whom he believes to be following him. Shortly afterward, Terrance disappears without a trace. Worried, Aaron and Jim return to his apartment, which is being cleared out. Aaron manages to salvage the newspaper clippings. When his house is broken into, Aaron moves in with Jim, his wife, and their young child, where he attempts to figure out what each of the newspaper clippings has in common.

It becomes apparent that Terrence had connected several significant historical events to the Tarsus Club, a non-governmental organization founded on an ancient secret society noted for the fact that its members tend to meet just before significant historical events, which has led conspiracy theorists to believe that the Tarsus Club is responsible for said events. The only evidence of its existence is a single article written in Time magazine by Mark Tucker. Unable to find further information about Tucker, Aaron and Jim turn to the Internet and solicit information from the public. A man claiming to be Tucker contacts them and agrees to meet for an interview on the condition that Aaron and Jim remove from the Internet everything that they have written about the Tarsus Club. During the interview, Tucker explains that the Tarsus Club worships Mithras and is said to sacrifice a bull at each of its meetings.

Tucker later contacts Aaron and Jim with news that he can sneak them into the next meeting of the Tarsus Club, which will be held at a mansion in the woods. Armed with hidden cameras, the pair document their interactions with members at the meeting. Claiming to be new members, Aaron and Jim are forced to participate in an initiation ritual held outside in which new members declare their allegiance to Mithras and are given raven masks to wear for the remainder of the meeting. While waiting in line for the ritual, Aaron sees Tucker enter the meeting and greet various Tarsus Club members. Realizing that Tucker is a member himself, Aaron becomes worried that Jim, who was before him in line, is in danger. However, he calms down when he sees Jim leaving the ritual wearing a raven mask, and Aaron decides to go through with the ritual himself. Back inside the mansion, a member corners Jim and reveals that the Tarsus Club has brought his wife and their young child to the meeting. At the same time, Aaron finishes the initiation ritual only to be given a bull mask instead of a raven mask. The members then chase him through the woods. Although his hidden camera continues to record as the members catch Aaron and appear to attack him with knives, it does not show his ultimate fate.

In an epilogue, members of the Tarsus Club perform a series of brief interviews in which they claim to have faked their attack on Aaron in order to scare him off, which is a usual practice with intruders into their meetings. The members are also seen editing the footage, now subsumed into a neutral or even positive documentary about the Tarsus Club. Although visibly shaken, Jim seems cooperative, agreeing with their version of events and adding that Aaron was released unharmed. However, he notes that Aaron was traumatized as a result and later disappeared. Jim theorizes that Aaron has joined Terrance, although he does not explain what this means. The Tarsus Club then reassures the audience that its members are not engaged in any nefarious conspiracies, but rather that it simply seeks world-wide cooperation between "governments, businesses, and individuals."

Cast

Production

Writer and director Christopher MacBride said that a friend introduced him to conspiracy theories. According to him, "For several months I got lost down that rabbit hole and eventually a light bulb just went off and I realized there was a really compelling story to tell set in that world." [3] The film makes use of both actors and real-life people involved in the conspiracy community. [4] MacBride said that he sees the film as an evenhanded faux documentary, not as "found footage". [5]

Release

The Conspiracy premiered at the Fantastic Fest and was picked up by XLrator for distribution in the US. [1] XLrator released on VOD on August 8, 2013, and in cinemas on August 23, 2013. [6] It was released in the UK on October 11, 2013. [7]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 88% of eight surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating was 6.5/10. [8] Linda Barnard of the Toronto Star rated it 2/4 stars and called it "a tense but far-fetched thriller". [9] Adam Nayman of The Globe and Mail rated it 4/5 stars and wrote that it "does more with a found-footage conceit than any horror movie since The Blair Witch Project ." [10] John Patterson of The Guardian called it "both plausible and watchable", though it "can be faulted for its predictability". [11] Joe Leydon of Variety called it "a modestly suspenseful faux documentary" that turns silly near the climax. [12] Peter Martin of Twitch Film wrote, "With absolute conviction and unwavering intelligence, The Conspiracy unpacks complex theories and raises disturbing questions that are not easily dismissed." [13] Richard Whittaker of the Austin Chronicle wrote, "The Conspiracy succeeds, not just because it successfully mimics the post-Michael Moore generation of directors who love to put themselves in front of the camera. It succeeds because it mimics the fever-dream paranoia of conspiracy documentarians." [14] Matt Glasby of Total Film rated it 4/5 stars and called it "plausible and chilling". [7]

Brad McHargue of Dread Central rated it 5/5 stars and wrote, "The Conspiracy is one of the most original, creative, and genuinely frightening horror movies in recent memory." [15] Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting rated it 4/5 stars and wrote, "It’s unfortunate that the epilogue is so weak considering how fun, engaging and thought provoking the entire film is." [16] Scott Weinberg of Fearnet wrote that it "works resoundingly well." [17]

One reviewer, writing in The Lexander Magazine, accused the filmmakers of plagiarizing a 2006 film entitled The Brandon Corey Story, which featured British conspiracy theorist David Icke. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Bettinelli-Olpin</span> American film director (born 1978)

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin is an American director, writer, actor, and musician. He is a founding member of the punk band Link 80 and co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence. He is best known for his work in horror films, including V/H/S, Southbound, Ready or Not, Scream and Scream VI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Gallner</span> American actor

Kyle Steven Gallner is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas in the television series Veronica Mars (2005–2006), superhero Bart Allen in the drama series Smallville (2004–2009), and Reed Garrett in the police series CSI: NY (2006–2010), as well as a lead role as Hasil Farrell in the drama series Outsiders (2016–2017). He is also known for his roles in American Sniper (2014) and the horror films The Haunting in Connecticut, Jennifer's Body, the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), Scream and Smile.

<i>Fido</i> (film) 2006 film by Andrew Currie

Fido is a 2006 Canadian zombie comedy film directed by Andrew Currie and written by Robert Chomiak, Currie, and Dennis Heaton from an original story by Heaton. It was produced by Blake Corbet, Mary Anne Waterhouse, Trent Carlson and Kevin Eastwood of Anagram Pictures, and released in the United States by Lions Gate Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloody Disgusting</span> American multi-media horror company

Bloody Disgusting is an American multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news site/website specializing in information services that covered various horror medias, including: film, television, video games, comics, and music. The company expanded into other media including advertising, podcast networking, film, television, streaming media, and management.

<i>Dread</i> (film) 2009 British film

Dread is a 2009 British horror film directed and written by Anthony DiBlasi and starring Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Evans and Hanne Steen, based on the short story of the same name by Clive Barker. The story was originally published in 1984 in volume two of Barker's Books of Blood short story collections.

Screen Anarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, the website covers various film festivals from Sundance, Toronto and Fantasia to Sitges, Cannes and the Berlinale. They partnered with Instinctive Film in 2011 to found Interactor, a crowd funding and viral marketing site, and with Indiegogo in 2013. Brown is a partner at XYZ Films, and Variety credits Twitch Film as helping to popularize the production company's films.

<i>Tucker & Dale vs. Evil</i> 2010 film by Eli Craig

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is a 2010 black comedy horror film directed by Eli Craig and written by Craig and Morgan Jurgenson. It stars Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Brandon Jay McLaren, Jesse Moss, and Chelan Simmons. Labine and Tudyk play a pair of well-meaning hillbillies who are mistaken for killers by a group of clueless college students. The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and received a limited release in the United States.

The Reaper Awards is an annual awards show presented by Home Media Magazine and Dread Central to honor the best horror genre home video releases. Fans can vote online for their favorite DVD and Blu-ray releases in categories selected by the show's judges. Winners receive the "Grimmy Award", a hand-crafted Grim Reaper trophy.

Radio Silence Productions is an American film and television production company, founded in 2011 by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez and Chad Villella. The group is known for the horror films Ready or Not, Scream and Scream VI, as well as their previous work together as Chad, Matt & Rob.

<i>Jug Face</i> 2013 American film

Jug Face is a 2013 American horror film written and directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle and starring Sean Bridgers, Lauren Ashley Carter, Larry Fessenden, Sean Young and Daniel Manche. The story follows a teen (Carter), who is pregnant with her brother's child and tries to escape from a backwoods community, only to discover that she must sacrifice herself to a creature in a pit.

<i>Frankensteins Army</i> 2013 film

Frankenstein's Army is a 2013 found footage horror film directed by Richard Raaphorst, written by Chris W. Mitchell and Miguel Tejada-Flores, and starring Karel Roden, Joshua Sasse, Luke Newberry, Alexander Mercury, Robert Gwilym, Andrei Zayats, Mark Stevenson and Hon Ping Tang. An international co-production of the United States, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, the film is set on the Eastern Front of World War II, as seen from the point of view of a Red Army team. In the film, Soviet troops invading Germany encounter undead mechanical soldiers created by a mad scientist descended from Victor Frankenstein.

<i>Resolution</i> (film) 2012 film directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead

Resolution is a 2012 American horror film directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead, written by Benson, and starring Peter Cilella and Vinny Curran. Cilella plays a graphic designer and father-to-be named Michael who, after receiving a troubling email video of his drug-addicted best friend Chris, travels to a remote cabin to save him. The 2017 film The Endless shares the same creative universe as Resolution, and may be interpreted as a partial sequel.

<i>Rites of Spring</i> (film) 2011 horror film

Rites of Spring is a 2011 American horror film written and directed by Padraig Reynolds. It stars A. J. Bowen, Sonny Marinelli, and Katherine Randolph as kidnappers who encounter an unrelated kidnapping victim who is fleeing a monster.

Tyler Gillett is an American film director, cinematographer, actor, writer, and producer. A co-creator of the filmmaking collective Radio Silence, Gillett co-directed, with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, the horror films Devil's Due (2014), Ready or Not (2019) and Scream (2022). He was also featured in a popular 2020 episode of the podcast Reply All.

<i>Kristy</i> (film) 2014 American film

Kristy is a 2014 American horror thriller film directed by Oliver Blackburn and starring Haley Bennett, Chris Coy, Mike Seal, Lucius Falick and Ashley Greene. The plot follows a college student who stays on campus alone over Thanksgiving break and finds herself terrorized by a cult of ritual killers. The film premiered on October 14, 2014, at the London Film Festival and also had theatrical releases internationally. In the United States, the film debuted on Lifetime on October 17, 2015, and was released on Netflix on November 5, 2015.

<i>Rec</i> (film series) Spanish horror film franchise

Rec is a Spanish supernatural zombie horror film franchise. The original 2007 film was shot in Barcelona, Spain and the title is an abbreviation of the word "record", as it appears on a video camera.

<i>Halloween</i> (2018 film) American slasher film

Halloween is a 2018 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride. It is the eleventh installment in the Halloween film series and a sequel to the 1978 film of the same name, while disregarding all previous sequels. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis who reprises her role as Laurie Strode. James Jude Courtney portrays Michael Myers, with Nick Castle returning to the role for a cameo. Halloween also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Haluk Bilginer, and Virginia Gardner. Its plot follows a post-traumatic Laurie Strode who prepares to face Michael Myers in a final showdown on Halloween night, forty years after she survived his killing spree.

<i>Hes Watching</i> 2022 American found footage horror film

He's Watching is a 2022 American found footage horror film written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, starring Iris Serena Estes and Lucas Steel Estes.

References

  1. 1 2 de Bruyn, Simon (2013-06-11). "XLerator Media Picks Up Fantastic Fest Hit THE CONSPIRACY For Late Summer 2013 Release". Twitch Film . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  2. ↑ "The Conspiracy, reviewed: A piece of fiction so smart, you'll be hoping it's not factual | National Post". Arts.nationalpost.com. 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  3. ↑ Miska, Brad (2013-08-06). "[Interview] Go Down the Rabbit Hole With 'The Conspiracy' Director Christopher MacBride!". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  4. ↑ "Q&A: "The Conspiracy" Writer/Director Christopher MacBride". 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  5. ↑ Risker, Paul (2013-10-16). "Interview: Christopher MacBride | The Conspiracy". Starburst . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  6. ↑ Miska, Brad (2013-06-26). "You're A Slave To This Exclusive 'The Conspiracy' Poster; Release Dates Announced!". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  7. 1 2 Glasby, Matt (2013-10-07). "The Conspiracy". Total Film . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  8. ↑ "The Conspiracy (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  9. ↑ Barnard, Lisa (2013-07-18). "The Conspiracy a tense but far-fetched thriller: review". Toronto Star . Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  10. ↑ Nayman, Adam (2013-07-19). "The Conspiracy: A worthy example of low-budget genre filmmaking". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  11. ↑ Patterson, John (2013-10-04). "The Conspiracy makes paranoia fun again". The Guardian . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  12. ↑ Leydon, Joe (2012-10-22). "Review: 'The Conspiracy'". Variety . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  13. ↑ Martin, Peter (2012-09-22). "Fantastic Fest 2012 Review: THE CONSPIRACY Makes You Paranoid, But Don't Tell Anybody". Twitch Film . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  14. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (2012-09-24). "FF2012: 'The Conspiracy'". Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  15. ↑ McHargue, Brad (2012-09-23). "Conspiracy, The (2012)". Dread Central . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  16. ↑ Miska, Brad (2012-09-23). "[BD Review] Chilling 'The Conspiracy' Brings Found Footage Thrills!". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  17. ↑ Weinberg, Scott (2012-09-27). "FEARNET Movie Review: 'The Conspiracy'". Fearnet . Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  18. ↑ Gawain Rhys Aragon (12 January 2014). "The Conspiracy (2012)—Misrepresenting Mithraism and Distorting History While Blatantly Ripping Off Brian Kraft, Jimi Petulla And David Icke's 2006 "THE Brandon Corey Story"". The Lexander Magazine.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.