Saturday 27 December 2014

Stonehearst Asylum


Hello guys! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Sorry, I haven't been very active lately but don't worry, I have been keeping up with plenty of films and plan on posting the reviews as soon as possible. One film I managed to check out over the festive season was 'Stonehearst Asylum' and it was much better than I had anticipated so check out my review.


Stonehearst Asylum (2014) 



Synopsis:

Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) is a young doctor with a keen interest in the studies of medicine for those with mental health issues. He takes a trip to Stonehearst Asylum to develop his studies even further and finds himself besotted with a beautiful patient named Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale). As Edward struggles to come to terms with Dr Lamb's (Ben Kingsley) insane treatment methods makes a shocking discovery and realises not all is as it seems at Stonehearst Asylum.





Review:

Stonehearst Asylum is based on a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and is a gothic, periodic, thriller that challenges the audience and keeps you on your toes throughout. With more twists and turns than a maze it is a film that requires your full attention but the complex and diverse array of characters portrayed by wonderfully talented actors keep the viewer submerged in the story. Stonehearst Asylum takes a look at the brutal and barbaric treatment of those suffering from mental health conditions and does so without the use of blood and gore. The film has certain aspects of a horror with it's grand, mysterious looking castle set out in the woods and the twisted, dark characters of Dr Lamb and Mickey Finn (David Thewlis) but pays more attention to the psychological threats by using edgy camera angles, chiarascuro lighting and an eerie setting that hosts dark corridors and frightening 'treatment' rooms.
Stonehearst Asylum is very similar to Shutter Island and also has an unpredictable ending, which I always find is a great bonus when watching a film. Although this film is a bit of a slow burner, each part is relevant in building up the layers of the story and creating the perfect atmosphere for this thoroughly enjoyable thriller.

4/5








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