UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

p-stepien One flew over the cuckoo's nest a bit too many in this wacko comedy with some absurdist driven plot evolving around five mentally unstable people attempting to compete for spot at a mental asylum. Within its confines the mysterious Dr Beard (visualised for the most part as a beard stuck onto a speaker-phone) attempts to grade the applicants and choose amongst them the most worthy candidate. Amongst them (as per the movie introduction to characters): Dr Raby (Daniel Izirarry) the virgin nymphomaniac, Maud (Pepper Binkley) the trophy mouse-wife, Paul (Lee Wilkof) the evangelical nihilist, Miranda (Camille O'Sullivan) the introverted exhibitionist, Alan (Bill Dawes) the gender bender refugee and Alice (Stella Maeve) the cybernetic lolita. With all out contenders ready for action, nurse Milly (Judith Hawking) initiates the game."Asylum Seekers" treads a very thin line with its over-exuberant surrealist absurdity, which often seems to have less to do with Luis Bunuel and more with "Airplane" and similar spoof comedies. Despite obvious intellectual inclinations and though-out dialogue the end result proves that this line has been largely obliterated by a mix of bad acting and ineffectual idiocy. Never truly funny it therefore fails as an overall concept, even if some glee can be taken from the dreamlike qualities, which transgress us into one of the wackiest on-screen adventures ever. Some viewers will be profoundly head-scratching way before the end credits, others may find it as exhilarating as an LSD trip, all in all it doesn't function well as a movie per se, instead more as a side event of edgy tidbits of craziness and surrealism.

gavin6942 Six people on the verge of a breakdown decide to check themselves into an insane asylum, only to discover there is just room for one.I have to wonder, what sort of thing inspires this film? Luis Bunuel? David Lynch? Clearly Alice in Wonderland to some degree... but this film has a surreal vibe -- no, not a vibe. It is surreal through and through. Which, if you like that, will tickle your fancy.The idea behind this film was awesome, the imagery was awesome, the twists were awesome... so why did I give it a mediocre rating? Simply because this film, if redone by someone with a bigger budget and with access to more star power, could make it a much better film. The only really good actor was the man playing the bald guy in a suit. (The cyber girl was okay, too... the gender bender rapper was by far the worst.

baxstrom In reference to some of the previous reviews, yes "Asylum Seekers" dares to be surreal. Whether this is a compliment or an epithet is entirely according to individual taste, I suppose. I think that the film is quite smart and very humorous, although at times the joke takes a while to sink in. This, to my mind, is a good thing. Themes of acting, self-presentation, fragmentation, and "mental health" in modern life are presented quite well in this film. True, quite often "Asylum Seekers" dispenses with easy plot devices, but this seems to be rooted in an expectation that the audience will actually engage a bit with the underlying themes rather than passively wait to be jolted into cheap laughter or "understanding".Interestingly, the film reminds me a lot of Raymond Roussel's novels; Roussel was funny too, but only if you were open to his strange sense of the world.For those interested in the formal qualities of a film, I can say that "Asylum Seekers" looks great. True, it is not "realistic", but it is clear that the director and crew got the most out of what was probably a fairly low budget.So, for lazy viewers, this is not a good film at all. If you actually take X-Factor or "the media" (any media...Fox, MSNBC, BBC...does not matter, really) or your therapist seriously, by all means stay away! If this is the level of your engagement, this film is not only not for you...you are actually the film's target. For those who can appreciate a more complex world than this, however, I can highly recommend "Asylum Seekers".

laurarbutler This movie is great! Fantastic cinematic shots, colors, sets and great actors.Its subject is genius. Characters seeking an asylum? The way I feel sometimes in this society made me question: why not seek an asylum? It takes you on a bizarre journey that feels like your trapped in a brain of another sort of character. The Music adds to the story of each character wonderfully as well. I could identify with so many moments. Especially Dr. Raby's. I don't want to spoil anything by saying too much but Daniel Irizarry's work in this film just carries you with him in the sentiments. I look forward to seeing more from the Director, Rania Ajami.