Night Explorers: The Asylum is set up as a found footage film minus the found footage aspect. A group of paranormal investigators decide to visit an infamous asylum in hopes of it being the job that breaks them into the big time. As the crew starts filming and going through the motions, things begin to happen that causes the team to question if this is the real deal. What follows is a night that turns into a nightmare far worse than anyone could have imagined.

As the explorers delve deeper into the asylum’s secrets, the narrative pivots, weaving in unexpected twists and enigmatic clues that heighten the intrigue. This shift is where the film truly shines – the audience’s perceptions, much like those of the protagonists, begin to unravel. The initial framework of a conventional ghost story evolves into a complex and multifaceted tale that explores themes of psychology, history, and the supernatural, leaving viewers in a state of constant anticipation.

The absence of traditional found footage elements is, in itself, a bold choice that enhances the film’s impact. By sidestepping the confines of shaky camera work and overt documentary-style narration, Night Explorers: The Asylum allows its characters to breathe authentically and its story to unfold organically. The absence of visual limitations serves to immerse the audience in the unsettling atmosphere of the asylum, while the meticulous attention to sound design and cinematography ensures that every creak, every shadow, and every chilling moment resonates profoundly.

The cast is a bit more than the standard four or five people, and with this larger group its easy to get lost in the shuffle. None of the performances really stand out, after finishing the film, I struggled to name any of the characters. This isn’t due to poor acting mind you, but more to the fact there were so many people. The lean run time of ninety minutes made for a tighter viewing experience at the cost of getting to know anyone or really caring about their fate.

One area that struggled and hurt the overall film was the audio. Perhaps most frustrating of all, the inconsistency in audio levels rendered attempts to adjust the volume settings practically futile. Viewers who attempted to mitigate the issue by increasing the volume to catch the dialogue found themselves overwhelmed by the heightened background noise, exacerbating the problem instead of solving it. Such an experience pulled the audience out of the narrative and into a state of heightened awareness of the technical shortcomings of the film.

Night Explorers: The Asylum takes what could be a standard found footage film and changes not only the technical formula but also where you expect the story to go. The whole time I was waiting to see some shaky camera work while running down a dark hall or see the spooky ghost in a mirror, but the movie kept me on my toes with what would come next. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the awful audio, this would be one of my top picks for the year so far. If you want to be pleasantly surprised and don’t mind watching a movie with subtitles, give this a shot.