Watch The Atticus Institute

The Atticus Institute is a 2015 American horror movie directed by Chris Sparling, following the sub-genre of found footage films. Set in the year 1976, the plot revolves around a small laboratory located in rural Pennsylvania, where Dr. Henry West (William Mapother) runs experiments aimed at measuring and studying the paranormal abilities of individuals.

Dr. West is soon approached by Judith Winstead (Rya Kihlstedt), a 33-year-old woman who claims to possess telekinetic powers. As time goes by, it becomes apparent that Judith is not the only person exhibiting supernatural abilities, as the experiments turn increasingly violent and chaotic.

At first, Dr. West and his team keep their findings quiet, fearing the government might take their research away from them. However, when the strange occurrences in the laboratory become too much to contain, the government agencies start poking their noses around and the project seems doomed to fail.

Enter Atticus Institute, a government-funded organization that specializes in researching paranormal events. They take over the laboratory and make sure no further experiments are conducted. But soon after the transition, the staff at the institute starts experiencing strange events.

The whole movie is presented as found footage; a style whereby the action is depicted through footage supposedly discovered by someone else, in this case, the footage is found at the abandoned Atticus Institute.

Overall, The Atticus Institute is unique in its approach to horror genre expectations. While not a typical 'found footage' movie, it uses the perspective of that genre to deliver an intriguing and slow-burning horror movie, where the narrative takes cues from real-life events like MK-Ultra, a CIA mind control program, and other subliminal messaging experiments.

What makes The Atticus Institute a standout film in this horror sub-genre is that the slow-burn approach really allows for suspense to build throughout the entirety of the film. This reliance on rich characterization and slow tension development helps the audience become more invested in the characters and the story.

The acting is also a strong point in this movie, with Rya Kihlstedt giving a standout performance as the telekinetic woman whose powers grow to become more intense as she's forced to display them for Dr. West's experiment. William Mapother's portrayal of Dr. West is also noteworthy as he hamms it up nicely in his scenes as a scientist who's becoming increasingly obsessed with his work.

The film's cinematography creates an eerie atmosphere that at times makes it hard for audiences to distinguish what's real and what's not, leading to heart-racing suspenseful moments.

The Atticus Institute is a fresh and engaging take on the found footage genre, it's truly not your average horror movie. As the audience is given enough time to become invested in characters the dread is carefully built up and thanks to creative use of found footage, The Atticus Institute keeps you guessing until the very end. A must-watch for all those interested in psychological horror/thriller genres.

The Atticus Institute is a 2015 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.5.