John, 316

At a psychiatric hospital in middle America a no-name drifter (Colin Matty) is brought in by the police, covered in a white sheet because he was naked. While he is likable and his eccentric ways win over the patients, the faculty isn't so sure (Afton Rentz, Griffin Cork, etc.), especially when a new boss takes over (Darrell Portz). "John, 316" (2020) is a mental hospital drama that's naturally reminiscent of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), but with a supernatural element similar to "The Green Mile" (1999) and a protagonist who recalls Toni Collette of "The Sixth Sense" (1999). It's amazing this only cost $75,000 (or $100,000 in Canadian dollars) because it's a worthy drama with entertaining bits and potent insights. Sure, it's not on the level of "Cuckoo's Nest" or "Green Mile," but I prefer it to "Sixth Sense" for several reasons. You get to know the characters and buy them as real people. Only Portz hams it up a bit, but it fits his antagonistic role. The spiritual points connected with me and they're way more than just what relates to the title. I'm not going to give 'em away, yet they're there for all to see; you just have to look beyond society's programming (brainwashing). One simple scene could easily be missed it's so mundane, but it speaks deep cosmic truth. The movie runs 1 hour, 43 minutes, and was shot in Alberta, Canada, at Alberta Beach & Edmonton (hospital). Alberta Beach is about 45 miles west of the big city. GRADE: B+/A-

I really enjoyed watching John, 316. I thought it was a unique story, that questioned the power of faith, and finding the right path to choose in situations that wade into the grey zone of morality. I used to work in group homes and there were constantly situations that arose that drifted into the grey area of choosing what was right to do or choosing to follow the rules. I really related to Abby's struggle to understand and accept John, because she was trying to do everything by the rule book, to be a good worker, to not get in trouble, and she was propbably taught the rules were always the best for patients. However, John was a unique case that pushed the boundaries on the rules, and showed that potentially other forms of treatment could be better for the patients, ie. Less meds. Whether Abby believed in John's miracles or not, she began to see a positivity from his prescence on the other patients, so when the big pharma excutives took over the hospital, she fought for John. I think this was a lovely film, and reccomend it!

This movie reminds me a lot of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest. Not as hard hitting or well made, but it has powerful messages without being preachy. It is not a Christian vehicle for a salvation message, nothing like that. It weaves an interesting tale while touching on over medication, administrative greed, as well as portrays that some medical staff cares about their patients. Shows the imperfection of the human vessel and the frailty of the mind. Its a good drama. I recommend it, but not for a date night or for younger kids. The subject matters shown and alluded to are for a mature audience.

I really enjoyed this film. It was refreshing to watch. This movie has heart, its original, it's funny but it also has its dramatic moments. It isn't meant to taken too seriously but also has deep meaning behind the events that occur. I found it unique and entertaining.

Movie about faith and love displayed in a real world situation without being hokey. Also exposing big-pharma devious ambition. Movie although not biblically accurate, but biblically inspired. Excellent...Well done movie...

What a remarkable movie! It is a reinforcement of our own abilities to heal ourselves, and also a condemnation of the drug companies, and healthcare, and governments for making us dependent on them. Health is not just a physical matter. It is mental, emotional, and spiritual as well. It is also freedom. Many people have survived severe conditions, due to their faith that they can. It Is possible to lie down and die. It's my opinion that most people don't leave their body until their will to live is no longer strong enough to overcome the pain, and misery of life. And the pain and misery WILL come, if you live long enough. The patients in that facility had given up, until they found someone...something to believe in. John was just a metaphor for the hope that stays with us . And our faith in God. They found that again, and with it, a will to go on. They were looking for a miracle, and they found it in themselves, and wanted to tell everyone about it. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

How is this possible? How did no one look at the poster and ask themselves before saying "Print" that showing the ostensible Savior's enhanced bum was a horrible, horrible idea. The trailer, too, is abysmal. Do yourself a favor and skip this nonsense.

A movie like this, the indespicable way or in a reasonable way. Both ways will hit a crowd, and still a question will turn out unanswered, was this a good film??? Its the story about a stray cat called john, arrested for indecency, walking naked on the streets, hes being put in the nutthouse, with all kinds of other nutcases, and becomes a psychiatric patient. But as out of a stephen king novel, miracles starts to happen, and the miracle man is john. At the same time the managment of the hospital changes and new donors of money changes the environment , trying to do trials with a new medicine on the kohort. John denies, and are taken away all treats, even denied food, and in the utter end as a result of the ceo snapping over johns miraclewonders and everlasting sturdy stamina, straps john to an electroshock bed and electrocutes the living daylight outta him, whch ignites an uproar within the staff and patients... so yes , its another ''the green mile'' flick about how the human race erradicated yet another miracle of God, killing Jesus(or john) with a jolt of electricity, and it is another''the cookoos nest''-flick too, yes. But are they able to succeed in their efforts to make a movie that will surprise? I shall not do that evaluation, and i ask everybody to forget every resemblance to the earlier forementioned titles other than that ive seen the core cast in other movies, made at a low financial budget, as john 316 quite visibly are made of too, but there are vibes of great improvement, and some of the acts qualifies as a-division candidates at moments, but the average act is merely a b'bop. Its agood story build up, but to make an edible end is as usual a hard nut to crack the production quality is like the wave of the ocean, it goes up and down and tilts abit due to broken stabilizers but hits the end with a 6 outta 10. The sound production has some tech flaws, the light settings be scrutinized at moments , but the editor has done a good job. Therefore the grumpy old man thinks its a watchable movie, not so realistic from a shrinks standpoint, but well done considering budget value taking a vast plot like this into action. Dont be squemish and laugh out loud when you can, its just a movie...isnt it???

I thought this looked like it might be interesting and it could have been if it had better writers. The problem is, you do not really see much of the John character and his miracles are few and not really that interesting. Contrary to the other reviewers I think the acting is not that bad from the main characters but without anything to work with script-wise, it was all a bit of a damp squib to be honest and soon became a bit crusty and monochromatic so I cannot really recommend it and giving it 4 stars may be a bit generous!

Don´t let the large number of awards fool you, but let words as Salvation, Alpacalypse Productions and Higher Universe Pictures do the talking for them instead. What we have here is a demonicly clever apparantly realistic build-up, in which factual problem of overmedicating in the healthcare sector for Pharma profits is gradually twisted and abused into a plot that declares mental illness as being nothing but a sheer matter of a lack of faith, and which therefor claims that all medication would be entirely unnessesary and dedundant if patients with a mentale disorder would only turn themselves into the care of the lord. This product should at least be distributed under a clear label of fiction, and should actually better still be marked as a potential hazard to public health.