Travis Simpkins: Stonehearst Asylum (2014): Kate Beckinsale, Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Stonehearst Asylum (2014): Kate Beckinsale, Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine

Directed by Brad Anderson, and written by Joseph Gangemi, Stonehearst Asylum (2014) was loosely based on the 1845 short story "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" by Edgar Allan Poe. The original title of the film was Eliza Graves, after the lead female character. The story concerns a young doctor who travels to a remote lunatic asylum in 1899 to learn from it's superintendent… and he quickly discovers that the mentally ill patients may actually be running the institution. Full of dark Victorian atmosphere, the film is stylish, sophisticated and exudes a foreboding sense of gothic thrills. The 19th Century sets and medical instruments are well-researched and designed. The cast does a great job all around, including Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine, Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, David Thewlis and Brendan Gleeson.