FILM REVIEW: Infirmary (2026)

Infirmary - Dance With Films NY World Premiere Review

Director: Nicholas Pineda

Starring: Paul Syre, Mark Anthony Williams, Danielle Kennedy, Corinna Wagner Smith

Written by: Katy Krauland

Produced by: Katy Krauland, Nicholas Pineda

Cinematography by: Donald Nam

Original Score by: Stephan Birch

Synopsis:

A guard vanished on his first night at an old psych hospital in 2023. His bodycam footage shows unexplainable incidents that continue to baffle investigators.

Thoughts:

Yes. Yet another found footage film. But hold up just a second. The found footage sub-genre might still be the kickstarter for so many new filmmakers but it's also the most divisive and heavily critiqued. Nicholas Pineda's debut feature film is smart and terrifying and deserves to be seen.

Paul Syre stars as Edward, a young ex-marine who has just got the job as night patrol of an old, run down hospital which is set to soon be demolished. He's been hired by the gentle and maternal Ms. Downey but his "real" boss is Lester and Lester makes that crystal clear from the outset.

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As Lester shows Edward the ropes and gives him a short tour, an intruder disrupts their evening and the two try to sniff out the problem. But soon Lester disappears and Paul is left to run the show on an unfamiliar stage with an unseen audience that is hell bent on torturing him.

I adore found footage as much as the next guy, however I won't lie that it's a sub-genre that usually really needs something special to rouse me. This one did. And the main reason for that is the location. It might be the most important ingredient in the soup, so to speak, for any found footage film. The woods have been done to death. Underground tunnels or caverns are super popular too. Hospitals or asylums have been done before obviously but I really appreciated the style and tone that Pineda uses here.

The character's surprisingly have a bit of depth to them and I was impressed by all three main performances. Ms. Downey is a "fun" little old lady.

"Tell me something Edward. How did a pussy like you ever make it in the military?" - Ms. Downey

Combining CCTV and body-cam footage, 'Infirmary' follows Edward and Lester around the decrepit building for almost 30 minutes before anything begins to look off. The labrynthine corridors of the hospital create such a confusing and claustrophobic atmosphere. The lighting and sound design add a layer of fear too, especially once Lester vanishes and Edward must descend into the basement.

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I don't want to give too much away but it is quite a slow moving film with little to no scares early on. But stick with it and give it a chance. Ultimately it does follow in the footsteps of alot of films in the genre and there's nothing glaringly of note that stands out per se, except for maybe the editing. The last 10 minutes is like playing an old video game. As the mystery unravels and Edward's eyes and mind plays tricks on him (or do they?) the film really begins to kick into gear. If there's one thing that will always give me the willies is seeing a head peep around a doorframe then disappear again instantly. And mannequins...

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Gavin Logan

'Infirmary' received it's World Premiere at Dances With Films NY on Friday January 16th