Stonehearst Asylum (2014)

Great Film overall

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Admirable film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Quite a cast list here and based on a Poe story, so you'd be forgiven for having reasonably high expectations. It's a bit formulaic though, full of Victorian deathly drama. Shadowy, creeping, slightly clunky script and obvious spooky string laden score. With all this mounting up, it doesn't look promising, but there's a dark humour which makes it quite entertaining and after the first half hour has passed, albeit a little predicable it does find its feet. The boundaries blur nicely between who is good and who is mad and it's all made the more watchable by Ben Kingsley, who although is dialling it in a bit, is still very watchable. Which is a good summary... watchable.

After seeing a beautiful but also insane woman being used as a guinea pig for a university, Edward decides to become an apprentice at the asylum in which she was kept. Soon after introducing himself and accommodating with his new "home", he discovers some disturbing facts which happened there not long ago and that he is the only one able to do something in the respective manner. Charmed by the beautiful Eliza but terrified by Dr. Lamb and his brutes, Edward is determined to find out the truth in order to have a chance with the love of his life.This movie's story, although presented sometimes using gruesome scenes, is captivating and thrilling, keeping you eager to find out what actually happened and what is the faith of the main characters. It has several twists and its finale reveals a very unexpected fact which will leave you simply shocked. Contrary to my expectations, it proved to be a great movie in terms of characters and story, its unpredictability playing a major role in this dark atmosphere. A very good movie!

On IMDb, Stonehearst Asylum is described perfectly in one sentence: "An Oxford graduate takes up a job in a mental asylum, only to discover that the new treatments are inhumane and there is more going on than meets the eye." That's all you need to know before watching this film, besides the all-star cast: Jim Sturgess, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, and Sinead Cusack. This is a fantastic movie, one that I would add to my lineup of Halloween movies, except that I wouldn't want to wait and only watch it once a year! Jim Sturgess plays the new doctor, and he's mature and charming, which shows a new side to his acting. Fans of his, or anyone who only knows him as "the Beatles guy", will be very impressed. Kate Beckinsale is beautiful and mysterious, providing a classy and luminous element to the otherwise spooky setting. Those who have seen Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine together in the hilarious film Without a Clue will be delighted to see them reunited, and with an entirely different screen relationship. . .While most of the film is scary, it's not filled with "gotcha" scares or gore. It's very tasteful, and puts the audience in a constant state of suspense rather than frightening them so much so that they won't be able to sleep that night. The lighting and sets truly transport the audience to the time period, and Joe Gangemi fleshes out Edgar Allan Poe's story wonderfully. Brad Anderson's direction includes a wonderful attention to detail, so that when you watch it for the second or sixth time, you're still getting more out of it. With a touch of humor—David Thewlis's character is named Mickey Finn—and an incredibly intriguing story, this is a film to treasure. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for Ben Kingsley's son Edmund, in the small role as Kate Beckinsale's husband! Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some scary scenes, I wouldn't let my kids watch it until they're a little older.

STONEHEARST ASYLUM is another dreadful Hollywood attempt at a horror movie, featuring an all-star cast and an extremely poor story that feels obvious and clichéd from the very beginning. When the tale is about a fresh young doctor arriving at a remote asylum and discovering some very odd goings-on, you can immediately guess what's really happening and sure enough your thoughts are soon proved right. That this is based on a Poe story means nothing, either, as Poe wouldn't recognise the glossy, slick, and superficial look of this movie.The structure of the film is designed as such to show off the various familiar faces in their various roles. Most of them disappoint, none more so than Jim Sturgess, an utter bore as the weak-willed hero. Ben Kingsley is a little better but seems to be on autopilot and anyone who has seen SEXY BEAST can attest that he can do much better. Jason Flemyng barely appears and Michael Caine can do nothing with an extended bit part. David Thewlis embarrasses himself with his ham acting, but the worst of the bunch is Kate Beckinsale, so incredibly bland in her delivery. You simply cannot understand why anybody would fall in love with her simpering character portrayed here.STONEHEARST ASYLUM is a film that becomes more and more ridiculous as it goes on, with silly action scenes and an electrocution death that looks like it came out of a cartoon. The actors really struggle to impart gravitas in their roles but the script is so poor that everything they say rings hollow. It also goes on way too long, especially during the extended (and stupid) climax. It's a big disappointment.