Shutter Island

UK Release: 12th March 2010

Watched on DVD: Tuesday 15th November 2011

Rating: 15

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Runtime: 2hrs 18mins

Tagline: Someone is missing.

IMDb Plot Synopsis: It's 1954, and up-and-coming U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston's Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. He's been pushing for an assignment on the island for personal reasons, but before long he wonders whether he hasn't been brought there as part of a twisted plot by hospital doctors whose radical treatments range from unethical to illegal to downright sinister. Teddy's shrewd investigating skills soon provide a promising lead, but the hospital refuses him access to records he suspects would break the case wide open. As a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland, more dangerous criminals "escape" in the confusion, and the puzzling, improbable clues multiply, Teddy begins to doubt everything - his memory, his partner, even his own sanity.

My Review: Shutter Island. It’s one hell of a ride. Thrilling, tense and absolutely bonkers - in a good way. 

The atmosphere created by Martin Scorsese is beyond sublime, much helped by the cinematography which throws you in to this dark, cold island and the mind of Teddy Daniels. Whether or not what happens is really happening, imagined or twisted by the doctor’s on the island is the big question here and even by the end I wasn’t entirely sure what was true! This made for some excellent audience interpretation - similar to that of Inception - which leaves you pondering what happened for weeks afterwards. 

But before things started getting twisted the film opens reasonably simply with Teddy and his new partner being sent to Shutter Island to investigate a missing ‘patient’ who appears to have vanished into thin air. Right from that moment I was gripped as I couldn’t work out how she had vanished. Little did I know she would be the last of my worries when it came to trying to figure this film out.

This is my favourite sort of film: one involving the mind whilst thrilling it at the same time. And it is done so cleverly with so many twists! Incredible.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays an Oscar worthy performance, of course and it is ridiculous that he didn’t win an award for this. 

Shutter Island is moving, stunning and smart whilst playing so many mind tricks you can’t help but be on the edge of your seat until the final credits. A modern classic...

Score: 9/10