Psychotic

Director - Johnny Johnson
Starring - Jenna Verdicchio (Enemy of England), Steve Hope Wynne (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and Kristina Dargelyte (Benny Loves Killing)
Release Date - 2013
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Delusional. Deranged. Depraved"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Insane asylum flicks just don't do it for me.  The criminally insane are something that I just don't find entertaining and that may be due to my childhood.  My mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a bi-polar disorder early on in my life.  Watching her moods change at the drop of a dime and constantly having to be aware of what I'm doing 24/7 so I did not set her off made my childhood one from hell.  When I was 6 she was institutionalized for the first time that I know of and it was then that I visited my first funny farm.  Anyway, these types of films are never able to capture what it is like to be inside of an insane asylum so the films instantly turn me off.  Recently, the folks over at Midnight Releasing sent me a review copy of the film Psychotic.  Normally, I would ignore a film like this just because they don't interest me but I refuse to skip a movie that was sent to me to review.  Thanks Midnight Releasing for giving me the opportunity to check this one out.
     This film follows a psych ward the last night they are operational.  Most of the staff and patients will be transported to another facility the following day.  The facility is home to serial killers, maniacs, and even cannibals.  The faculty run things like normal with the doctor speaking to one of the residents.  The young lady was once a lawyer and then snapped and killed two people.  While this is going on the doctor running the show lets the lead guard know that this is his last night on the job.  The man snaps and tries to rape a female doctor before letting out an unstable patient to beat the shit out of him.  However, the patient gets away and turns on a big machine.  The lights flash in the machine as both men walk behind it.  A few moments later another guard comes in the room and both the guard and patient are up and walking around but now their eyes are black.  They let the patients out of their cells and set their sight on killing all the staff.
     Psychological horror films bore the shit out of me.  They throw the viewer in an insane asylum or something of the like and try to fuck with their heads.  Very few films that take place in these environments go the straight forward horror route and I assumed Psychotic was the same as the rest.  However, I was very wrong and the film was, indeed, a straight forward horror flick that struggles to find its footing.  The acting in this one is great by the entire cast.  It is refreshing when you see a film that has a solid cast like this one does.  Every cast member gave their roles their all and it made the film as watchable as it is.  The story for this one has so much potential but fails to capitalize on it.  The film starts out making you think it is going to be a film about some pretty young women trapped in an asylum full of serial killers and cannibals only to mix it up and throw what could be interpreted as a supernatural element into the film.  I am referring to the scene where their eyes turn black.  It is never specified but it is implied that they become possessed...I guess.  Finally, the film does have a few bloody on screen kills but they are nothing spectacular or note worthy.  In fact, they get lost in the story which is something horror fans do not want.  Overall, Psychotic is a film that could have been fucking amazing but the premise is ruined with unneeded twists that take away from the finished product.