Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Exam'

​Written by Scotty

The stress of getting a new job can be overwhelming for many people. I still get an upset stomach when I go for interviews since it is always hard to talk about myself and my accomplishments from the past. For some people, this comes easy, but for many others it is one of the most difficult things to have to do and makes the job look easy in the long run. With so much competition on the streets these days, the right job might seem like it is more difficult to find, but in reality, you just need to focus on who you are and what you can bring to the table for the employer, as training can be provided for what you do not know.

As eight candidates file into a testing facility, they are greeted by The Invigilator who gives them their directions for their final exam for a very sought after job.  Being the best of the best, they all have to come up with one answer that can change their lives for the next eighty years. The group is only given three simple rules to the test, they cannot soil their papers, they cannot try to engage himself or the guard in the room and if they leave the room, they cannot come back in.  The group has eighty minutes to come up with their answer and as the clock starts ticking and their papers are turned over to reveal the question at hand.

Seeing that the back of their papers are all blank, the group does not know what the question is, much less how to answer it.  Thinking back on the rules that they have been given, they find out that they are able to talk and move about the room without being kicked out. Being led by White, everyone in the group is trying to find a way to figure out what their question really is. Seeing that writing anything on the paper gets you disqualified from the test, the group is forced to try many different methods to find out what to do next. Believing that the question is somehow hidden on the paper, the group messes around with the lighting in the room and even tries to use water to bring out the hidden message.  When those methods do not work, the few survivors start to turn on each other believing that they are all plants for the test and that causes a state of distrust in the room while they are all fighting for a life changing event.

These are the movies I tend to like the most these days, more of a psychological thriller that messes with your mind. Starting off as friendly acquaintances, the group succumbs to the pressure about not knowing how to answer the unknown question. As the clock ticks down, it is great watching how each person starts to crack in their own way and while some of the candidates do not want to harm anyone else, they are forced to take a stand.  Seeing how far people are willing to go to get a job, no matter how prestigious, it is an insightful look at how people react to the unknown. Being willing to listen to reason may be the only way you will understand why you are selected or why you are not, but most people these days believe that their entitlement outweighs everyone else’s.  Happy Viewing.

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