Light on the dark and mysterious for most of the 1-hour 29-minute runtime, The Institute pits Marie and Danny against a creepy old dude running a fertility clinic. Having already suffered through the loss of a child and in the middle of grieving, her husband Danny finds an online treatment center that promises miracles. The retreat and animal sanctuary are run by Dr. Arthur Lands and a strange monotone nurse who immediately cause a suspicious eye to be thrown their way. Both seem to have been inspired by classic villains from cartoons. Dr. Lands reminded me of a taller version of something akin to Dr. Evil from Austin Powers sans the scar on his eye and bald head.

The pair settle in fairly quickly. At The Institute, there are already a bunch of other couples after the same thing. Everyone, there has been promised the golden touch of the mysterious doctor will produce a cute little baby. They are given the health retreat speech. Everyone needs to nourish their bodies, detox their vessels and undergo all sorts of testing from sperm counts to naked probing and restorative treatments. Marie’s husband Danny almost instantly takes a disliking to the fabulous Dr. Lands accusing him of cracking onto her while he examines her uterus with a metal instrument. Early on though, the tonics all of the guests drink daily are taking effect and if most of the group aren’t horny they are asleep.

The Institute

When Danny and Marie’s exuberant romp knocks over a lamp one night, he tries to talk to Marie about the fact he discovered a hidden camera in it. The Institute is the type of movie that likes to simply gaslight its audience from every direction. Under the doctor’s spell when he tells her she is almost fully repaired and good as new, Marie denies anything is wrong. What’s more, when Danny finally confronts the doctor himself, there is some expertly fabulous deflection there too.

It’s not for me, it’s for humanity!
Dr. Landis quote from The Institute movie

Fertility Clinics That Offer More

The Institute is written and directed by Hamza Zaman. Incidentally, Zaman inserts himself into the film as a yogi during a random session in the surrounding forests. It’s in the forests that we are treated to an orgy with our loved-up guests. Instead of using these scenes to undermine the “treatment” they are being given and drum up some concern about where these babies are being conceived, it instead takes a more voyeuristic approach. Dr. Landis likes to watch and his main use for all his hidden cameras seems to be simply to watch his guests do the naked tango every night.

Heavily flogged with the same flashback of Maries worst nightmare and having her baby dragged out of her body, “The Institute” shudders under the weight of poor performances. Not to mention stilted dialogue and green screen special effects. By the time the finale comes into play and a giant lobster mutant baby thing joins the circus there was little to be invested in. I did hang in there to find out what exactly had been put into Marie’s womb. But when I saw what it was, I am more disappointed than before.

The Institute is rated

2.5 high-tech facilities making mutant babies out of 5

Mother of Movies score

The Institute movie 2022 — The Institute movie courtesy of Gravitas Ventures

For a review of The Institute from a different angle check out Life Between Frames website.