The eerie turquoise hues and images of the rooms and corridors an empty mental health institution due for demolition open this found footage film from director Nicholas Pineda, co-written with Katy Krauland.

Its dusk and a sole figure can be spied by the exterior CCTV. Its newbie security guard Edward (Paul Syre Lee) who almost immediately manages to get on the wrong side of his boss and head of security Lester (Mark Anthony), who was probably spoiling for an argument anyway.

A quick introduction to administrator Ms Downey (Danielle Kennedy) and Ed (as Lester now calls him) shows him around the facility reminding him about the bodycam he must wear at all times. Turns out that the Wilshire Hospital was notorious for unorthodox experiments on its patients. Edward certainly feels very uncomfortable there.

An intruder is spotted on the CCTV and Lester sets out to investigate only for the breakers to blow engulfing the facility in darkness. Then Lester disappears and Edward is left (virtually) alone to find his boss as strange things start to happen and appear around him.

Infirmary is one of the most successfully realised found footage films to have been released in recent years. Nicolas Pineda carefully builds up the tension and dread with the utmost skill using the images from the CCTV, bodycam, colour, sound and lighting. It also relies a lot on the actors with the banter between old codger Lester and ex-forces Edward taking the plot forward.

Technically the direction and editing are superb as the viewer catches images in the corner of the screen or the unsettling lifelike mannequins appearing even more unsettling in the chapel.

Of course, there’s a detour into the bowels of the building with overhead pipes reaching into the gloom seemingly into infinity as the lighting will only show so much. Its horribly claustrophobic and very, very creepy and with so much movement from the protagonists at times purposely disorientating.

Infirmary had its UK Premiere at Tubi FrightFest 2026 and will be available on Shudder from 2 October 2026.

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