Exeter

At an abandoned asylum, a group of teens looking to party decide to experiment come face to face with the possessed. Their only chance of survival is to uncover the asylum's mysteries.

Director Marcus Nispel's Exter a.k.a The Asylum and Backmask is not as genre self aware as the Tucker and Dale Versus Evil. It is a humorous in places, scary and well scripted by Kirsten Elms. Nispel's offers his first film that isn't a remake or an adaptation with some slick direction and the story tries to put a new spin on old clichés. It's basically an updated take on the Evil Dead formula.

The makeup and special effects are finely executed with effective sound design delivering some jump scares. Elms's screenplay tries to ensure the characters are relevant and it's played straight by the majority of likable characters as they get possessed one by one.

It has a hard hitting opening where a record playing tattooed lady meets her maker. Then there's the typical drinking, drug taking and sex. A twisted head, suicide and levitation are all thrown in for good measure. The dilapidated asylum location and setting add some atmosphere and Stephen Lang's extended cameo gives it some further weight.

While not ground breaking, it's still an entertaining, big budget well paced piece of horror.

An isolated, derelict loony bin, where partying teens spark off a serial demon possession.

Open on a topless drug addict: she sways in her gorgeous panty-clad ass and ... shoots her brains out. Wot? The director doesn't bother to take his time, and you're not given enough information to work this scene through the story - until the final plot ambush.

The next ten minutes is irritating teens doing what teens don't really do. Especially when they're played by mature, beautiful actors. Then totally unrhythmic horror clichés, with poor humour and feeble characterisation, and by 35 mins you want to give up. And die.

But it does settle into a rhythm, and I wonder if that's down to an experienced cinematographer getting to grips with the director (also the writer). But still lots of bad judgment in the storytelling - at 60-65 mins there are four - 4! - jump scares (one with a toilet-roll, followed by a low angle instead of a high angle). In all, maybe 30 jumps in the film (poor Rory plays the jump monkey), and none of them works - a world record. Again, bad timing by the director/writer.

Can't blame the actors. They all seem up for it, so whachagonnado? Many more weaknesses to tell, but I surrender. It does wrap up neatly, as we get back to the prologue. Plus the end credits repeat the song + there's sequel-bait. And now I goes to shleep.

Obviously money behind this production for cintematography and CGI, but I wish they'd spread it around for more talented story tellers. Copyright is 2012. Depressing conservative rubbish.

There are many rules teenagers do not follow in Horror movies, but can we blame them? Actually we can, but where would all (most) the horror movies go then? Exactly. But there are still differences even within crazy ideas. For me it's when there's decent effects, at least OK performances and a story that's not completely crazy (though sometimes that can be a good thing too).

This is quite normal, with lots of blood and gore effects and twists, which you may or may not see coming. The bottom line is, that it can be a fun watch, if you let it. I thought it was entertaining enough to pass the time, you should be able to tell after 10-20 minutes yourself. If it's not yours, stop watching then, rather than suffer through it

If you're in for a chuckle or two and you have a dark sense of humor this may be your speed. Think Army of the Dead but trying to be more serious and less cheesy. Honestly I've had this movie on my computer for the past two years listed as The Asylum and I spent a while looking for this. It's not a good horror/thriller but then again it's difficult to scare me.

-Possession, overused theme and it's been warn out. I get it catholic church, possession's a thing, I don't buy it but I believe that you believe it's real -Decent roster of actors with a very generic plot line, they managed to make it "work". -Music choice was decent

For the music I give it a 3, and because I kept watching it. I in all good conscience don't believe anything other than The last air bender, Dragonball Evolution, Avatar, and from what I've heard the fantastic 4 reboot deserve less than a 3.

But take my word for it, save yourself the time and skip this movie, all you really want to see is within the first minute or so. You're welcome.

Saw this at Frightfest Glasgow 2015. When I saw Marcus Nispel's name I knew it couldn't be all bad, and right I was! Nispel has made the Friday the 13th-remake, and Texas Chainsaw massacre remake, and I liked both of those so I felt pretty safe.

This is a decent budget, nice, crisp looking movie. Which are qualities I happen to like a lot in horror movies. The actors do their job, nothing special but alright, the effects are good, pacing is pretty solid.

Unfortunately it's nothing special really, it does it's job pretty well, but nothing exceptional. I was kind of waiting for it to "take off" a little more, which it never really seemed to. Had it gone the extra mile, so to speak, it would have been a clear 8 for me.

To sum up: Decent flick, looks nice, good party-factor, some nice gore, couple of laughs, absolutely entertaining.