While superheroes saving the world or maybe just the day is pretty rad, something the majority of superhero movies don't really explore is the notion that having powers beyond those of everyday mortals would initially be, well, pretty bloody strange. Terrifying even.
Misfires like Man Of Steel and this year's Fantastic Four took a crack at it, but the most successful take on this topic is Ang Lee's Hulk, which depicted Bruce Banner's transformation into a rampaging green-skinned behemoth as thoroughly traumatic.
So it's an interesting and diverting twist Australian writer-director Robert Mond takes with his debut feature The Subjects, making this 'origin story' also something of a horror story.
It's not all horrific, of course — the story has its share of mystery, science-fiction and comedy elements as well. And while Mond makes the most of his clearly limited budget, restricting the action to a single location and making judicious use of special effects, it's primarily ideas-driven, with some of the ideas more potent and more clearly and entertainingly expressed than others.
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The story sees a group of strangers taking part in a clinical trial for a new drug created by a pharmaceutical company that seems legit but is obviously shady. Popping a pill seems like an easy way to make $800 but as the drug starts to show some extremely unusual side-effects on each participant, it becomes clear they haven't swallowed a bunch of placebos.
The concept is a bit stronger than the way it's presented — the characters and the dialogue are a tad one-note — but Mond has put a lot of thought into how it all plays out, and The Subjects is an engaging way to mess with your mind as a result.
The Subjects is now available on multiple VOD platforms. For further information, please visit thesubjectsmovie.com.
