‘Nosocomephobia’ is a word that can perfectly describe me, so when I put on Rounding, I knew I was going to be uncomfortable but good god I didn’t expect the psychological trip the film sent me on. If you don’t know what nosocomephobia is, it is a fear of hospitals, so watching a movie about a med student doing their residency being haunted by their past as they become obsessed with a singular patient was certainly cranking the tension and horrors to eleven.
James Hayman played by Namir Smallwood, has decided to go to a new rural town to move his rounds, or rounding in this case, to a different hospital and hoping for a new fresh start. Things start to get out of control as he becomes obsessed with a patient, assuming the worst and putting his career on the line for what he personally believes is happening to the patient. In a series of twists and turns, and the monsters lurking inside of James head, there is so much more than meets the surface in this ultra-hyper psychologically disturbing excellent film.
For only his second feature, Alex Thompson who both directs and co-writes Rounding, certainly has a bright future ahead of himself. He has made it clear that he knows how to create anxiety educing atmosphere and get the best out of his actors. That being said, Namir Smallwood whose career is really just starting, is certainly a name to be on the lookout for, as he proves he as the acting chops to carry a film let alone one that lingers with you long after the film ends.
