U.S. Marshal Edward Daniels investigates a missing person case at a mental hospital. However, as he digs deeper, he becomes convinced that something unsavory is happening at the hospital; he begins to think that patients are being experimented on, and later that experiments are being done on him as well.
This is a good psychological horror thriller, but like some films of this genre, it is full of disturbing images. This is where I have a problem with the movie, because I find this aspect of the film bothersome. Many people would find this entertaining in a nightmarish horror picture kind of way, but I simply wasn't in the mood for it. The movie made me gloomy.
The closest film to this one that I can think of is Jacob's Ladder, which is an even more disturbing film that I actually liked. It also reminds me of the 2005 psychological thriller Stay, which I found so depressing that upon getting out of the theater I immediately bought a ticket to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit just so that I could watch something more uplifting.
The disturbing aspects of this film are necessary, otherwise the surprise ending wouldn't make as much sense or have as much impact. However, the ending seemed a little contrived to me, and it is not very different from the endings of Stay and Jacob's Ladder. I could tell you how these endings are similar, but that would give away the surprise.
Shutter Island is an extremely well made film that is entertaining, so despite my reservations, I am giving it three stars.
Rating: * * *