Every so often, a movie comes along that strips away the blood, gore, and cheap jump scares, and instead decides to get under your skin by playing mind games. Exam (2009) does exactly that. Take Saw, remove about 95% of the torture porn, and you’re left with something far leaner: eight strangers locked in a room, one guard, one invigilator, one job offer on the line, and a test with no visible question. Sounds simple, right? Except it’s anything but.
The rules are clear from the start—don’t ruin your paper, don’t talk to the guard or invigilator, and don’t leave the room. Break a rule, you’re out. What unfolds is less about the “test” itself and more about how far people will go when they’re desperate, ambitious, and trapped in a pressure cooker with no escape. Think of it as a corporate Battle Royale, only instead of weapons, the candidates use manipulation, psychology, and paranoia.
The Candidates: Archetypes in a Pressure Cooker
One of the film’s strengths is how it uses its eight contestants like pieces on a chessboard. Each one plays a role you instantly recognize, but the fun is watching how those archetypes crack—or double down—under pressure.
- Candidate 1 – The Victim (John Lloyd Fillingham as “Deaf”)
Quiet and vulnerable, he’s the first to show how unforgiving the rules are. His fragility sets the tone for how merciless the game can be. - Candidate 2 – The Opportunist (Gemma Chan)
Testing boundaries and looking for loopholes, she brings a subtle, calculating energy. It’s fascinating to see how she maneuvers around the others. - Candidate 3 – The Cold Calculator (Adar Beck as “Dark”)
Detached and clinical, she thrives on logic over empathy. Her strategy-driven approach makes her both intimidating and alienating. - Candidate 4 – The Manipulator (Pollyanna McIntosh as “Brunette”)
She works the room by planting seeds of doubt, pulling strings, and letting others take the fall. A quiet power player. - Candidate 5 – The Aggressor (Luke Mably as “White”)
Hot-headed, impulsive, and quick to violence. His intimidation tactics dominate the room, but brute force rarely lasts long in psychological warfare. - Candidate 6 – The Schemer (Jimi Mistry as “Brown”)
Slippery and cunning, he’s convinced he’s always the smartest in the room. His strategies make him dangerous but also reckless. - Candidate 7 – The Survivor (Nathalie Cox as “Blonde”)
Adaptable and persistent, she doesn’t stand out at first but proves resilient as the pressure mounts. - Candidate 8 – The Moral Compass (Chukwudi Iwuji as “Black”)
Level-headed, empathetic, and rational. He’s the human heart of the group, though in a ruthless competition, morality becomes both his strength and weakness.
Together, they feel like contestants from The Apprentice thrown into a locked-room nightmare—each playing out exaggerated traits under suffocating pressure.
The Tension vs. The Payoff
For the first hour, the movie hums with tension. The alliances, betrayals, and desperate attempts to “crack the exam” keep you guessing. You’re constantly second-guessing: Who’s going to snap? Who’s going to walk out? Who’s going to outthink the others?
But here’s the catch—the payoff doesn’t match the setup. After all that build-up, the reveal feels small compared to the psychological fireworks that came before. Instead of a jaw-dropping twist, we’re left with a “that’s it?” moment. It doesn’t ruin the movie, but it definitely takes it down a notch.
Final Verdict
Exam (2009) isn’t perfect, but it deserves props for trying something bold on a small budget. It’s claustrophobic, clever in its setup, and fascinating to watch if you enjoy psychological pressure cookers. The archetypal characters make it easy to follow, and the mind games are worth the ride—even if the ending leaves you wanting more.
My rating: 7 out of 10.
Not a masterpiece, but definitely worth taking if you’re into high-concept horror thrillers that toy with human nature.
