Infirmary – Movie Review (3/5)

INFIRMARY is a new found footage horror movie made on a small budget, as indie movies usually are, but it works the premise well. A small cast and a single location that feels haunted right off the bat make for a solid horror movie in theory, but it also resulted in a movie that is eerie and sinister. Read our full Infirmary movie review here!

INFIRMARY is a found footage horror movie getting its world premiere at the film festival Dances With Films in New York. I can imagine this indie movie will do well at film festivals, but I’m pleased to report it also works well on a smaller screen. This isn’t always the case, but the claustrophobic vibe of the setting works on both the big and small screens.

Also, having a small cast is never a bad idea when dealing with found footage. It’s often more about the location and some strange and haunting vibe than having lots of characters. Instead, we get to know these characters a little better, as we see them react in increasingly strange situations. Well, one in particular, as we follow a newly hired night guard.

Continue reading our Infirmary (2026) movie review below.

The ideal horror setting: A long-abandoned mental asylum

With Infirmary, the title refers to the Wilshire Infirmary, where Edward (Paul Syre) starts working as a security guard. While the name “Wilshire Infirmary” may sound like a nice enough place, it’s actually a long-abandoned mental asylum. It’s now crumbling and appears to have been left very suddenly, as cups and plates are still on the tables of the cafeteria.

Also, this place comes with a dark history that refuses to die. As with many old mental asylums, the patients weren’t exactly cared for as much as they were stowed away. Possibly tested on a little bit to help them, but often more for the curiosity of the doctors than the well-being of the patients.

Edward is paired with Lester (Mark Anthony Williams), who is getting ready to retire as a guard after ten years on the job. And yes, having worked as a security guard at this mental asylum has left its mark on Lester. He is quite a peculiar character. Then again, so is Ms. Downey (Danielle Kennedy) as the boss, who has a kind but also strange vibe to her.

Yes, the place is (obviously) haunted

Of course, the title location of this found footage horror movie is haunted. And it really doesn’t matter whether you believe in ghosts or not. They will still chase and haunt you relentlessly. Or maybe they want to show you something? There’s usually a reason why ghosts haunt us, after all.

It begins with a regular intruder, which is something Lester seems all too familiar with. However, the intruder disappears, and as Edward and Lester try to find them, they come across something much worse. Before long, Edward finds himself getting deeper and deeper into the near-identical halls of the infirmary, and the line between reality and something else blurs.

Edward (played perfectly tormented by Paul Syre) is haunted by visions he can’t explain, and feels like someone is stalking him. Or something?! As such, this found footage horror movie draws you in and keeps you right there, alongside Edward, as he begins to fear that he may never leave this place again.

Extremely efficient in its execution, even if the story itself is rather small. Then again, with a character-driven story, you can focus on a smaller story and let the character play a bigger role. It certainly works for Infirmary.

Infirmary is world premiering at Dances With Films

Filmmaker Nicholas Pineda is the director of Infirmary, which was written by Katy Krauland. The two have managed to create a horror universe that should appeal to most horror fans. Sometimes, Infirmary is described as a thriller. However, I doubt anyone who is scared of watching a horror movie could handle watching this one.

Calling it a thriller found footage horror film (another official description) feels much more on point. This is the feature film debut of Nicholas Pineda. It promises great things to come – if he continues making horror movies. I loved that this was made on a low-budget and with Nicholas Pineda and Katy Krauland producing themselves. Plus, they shot it at an actual abandoned hospital. Perfect!

Also, I have to commend the use of body cams and surveillance cameras for Infirmary. Often, the problem with found footage movies is that the footage doesn’t make sense. With this found footage horror, it makes perfect sense as we see things happen through the body cams of these security guards, as they move around the quite sparsely camera-covered place.

INFIRMARY World Premieres at Dances With Films on January 16, 2026.

Details

Director: Nicholas Pineda
Writer: Katy Krauland
Cast: Paul Syre, Mark Anthony Williams, Danielle Kennedy