The Institute

Set in 19th century Baltimore, this horror mystery follows Isabel Porter, a young woman grieving the early loss of her parents. Seeking a way to cope, she voluntarily enters the Rosewood Institute. Once inside, she becomes a subject of violent, pseudoscientific experiments focused on mind control, brainwashing, and the modification of personality. Isabel must find a way to escape the facility and seek retribution before her identity is permanently erased.

The film was co-directed by Pamela Romanowsky and James Franco. For Romanowsky, this was her second feature following The Adderall Diaries. It was released in 2017, marking the second of three films Franco directed that year, following The Disaster Artist and preceding Tenn. The cast is led by Allie Gallerani as Isabel Porter and James Franco as Dr. Cairn, with supporting roles played by Topher Grace, Lori Singer, Scott Haze, and Joe Pease.

Produced by Campbell Grobman Films, Jeff Rice Films, Dark Rabbit Productions, and Redwire Pictures, the movie had a budget of 3 million USD. It has received generally poor feedback from both viewers and professional reviewers. It holds a rating of 4.2/10 on TMDB based on 122 votes, while film critics gave it a lower score of 2.5/10 from 5 reviews.