Exhibit #8

When Bosnian-born Aisha, for her cameraman friend Elias’ documentary, begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Aisha's brother from a refugee center in the Netherlands years before, they cross paths with another film crew that is creating an even more sinister narrative.

Exhibit #8 is what’s known as a POV (Point of View) film, which means that the camera is being held or operated by one of the characters throughout the majority of the film. These are also sometimes known as “Found Footage” films, which usually means that main idea of the film is that the footage was discovered, and is now being watched, after (presumably) the people who filmed it are now dead, usually as a direct result of whatever it is on the footage. Think Blair Witch Project, What We Do In The Shadows, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, Rec, Troll Hunter, Grave Encounters, on and on, or my personal favorites… The Wicksboro Incident and Lunopolis.

Also, word of warning… never, ever watch Megan is Missing.

Trust me.

Much like zombie films, POV films are popular to make because they’re generally cheaper to make. This usually also means that it’s a pretty unreliable genre. There’s definitely some good examples, but there is also an incredible amount of really, really bad examples, as the most untalented hacks in the world only really need a couple of friends, a camera, and the motivation to tromp out into the woods one afternoon, if they want to make one of these.

This is an example of one of the good ones.

Exhibit #8 turns on the idea that, as Elias films Aisha’s search for answers, having traveled to the small town where the Refugee Center is located, it quickly becomes apparent something much darker is going on, and this is apparent not just to Aisha and Elias either, what with the Center’s officials and the small town’s creepy vibe, especially after they discover that a large number of refugees have vanished from the place over the years, but it’s also apparent to the audience as well, as we begin to see camera angles that are not being filmed by Elias. We (the audience) soon realize that we are actually being shown a “finished” version of Elias’s documentary as it is being screened for the creepy locals, who are all gathered together because they’re all a part of a secret underground snuff film community. Usually, these sickos delight in preying on the vulnerable residents of the refugee center, using the fact that society ignores them, capitalizing on that invisibility for their own twisted and evil entertainment. Obviously, the townsfolk and Center’s officials want to keep this all a secret, so they have set a trap for Aisha and Elias, who have inadvertently stumbled into it.

This is another movie that is based on the current horrible reality that comes with living in “Western Civilization” as a Person of Color, and it clearly highlights the correct group of people who are responsible for that reality. The lesson of the film is clear… it’s just not safe these days to be alone, and even a slightly brown person, while in a predominantly white area these days. It’s best to just stay away, but if you do happen to find yourself in such a terrible place, make sure to do what needs to be done so that you can survive, which the very satisfying ending clearly illustrates.

I really enjoyed it.

It’s true, if you've seen one found footage film, you’ve pretty much seen them all, so you probably know what to expect here… the innocuous set-up, often filled with “Why are you filming this” and “put that camera down,” then later a lot of shaking camera, and frightened exclamations of "Oh my God, did you see that?", all culminating in the discovery of some dark place no one in their right minds would go into, and ending with a sudden shock as the camera falls, and the screen fades to black. You’ll get most of that here too, but what makes Exhibit #8 good is that it follows…

The Rules of Making a Good POV Film:

1. Never forget that the camera is a character.

2. Make sure to have a good reason for the characters to be filming in the first place.

3. Make sure to have a better reason for them to keep filming once the shit hits the fan.

4. Acknowledge that there is an inevitable point in every POV film where, no matter what, it will no longer make any sense at all for the characters to continue filming.

Most POV films will fail horribly at one or all of these rules, a big part of why they suck. Yes, there’s one decision in Exhibit #8 that doesn’t make sense, and it leads to a cascade of bad decisions that ends pretty badly for the characters, and this kind of upsets what was otherwise a previously good balance of the rules for this film, BUT… stuff like that also kind of has to happen in horror films, right? Like, if the characters paused at the top of the ladder leading down into the dark sub-basement, looked at each other, and went “fuck that,” got in the car and went home, it wouldn’t be a good movie, right? So sometimes a little rope is required.

Plus, it ends well, so… Thumbs up.