Stonehearst Asylum

Name: Stonehearst Asylum
Genre: Thriller
Released: October 24, 2013
Duration: 112 min
Rating: 52

2013

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 65 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 65 Ratings

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Stonehearst Asylum

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Movie Details & Credits

Millennium Films | Release Date: October 24, 2013 | PG-13

Summary: Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess), a recent medical school grad, takes a position at a mental institution and soon finds himself taken with one of his colleagues -- though he has no initial idea of a recent, horrifying staffing change.

Director: Brad Anderson and Brad Anderson

Genre(s): Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 112 min

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Critic Reviews

Empire Kim Newman

Apr 20, 2015

A spirited gothic tale, played with welcome black humour. Read full review

Rob Staeger

Oct 21, 2014

With Stonehearst Asylum, director Brad Anderson doles out a vintage Halloween treat — a straightforward Poe adaptation of the sort that Vincent Price used to star in — and gives it a freshness and complexity that make it a delight. Read full review

Charles Bramesco

Oct 23, 2014

Between its distinctly modern intelligence and razor-sharp plotting, Anderson’s clever contraption matches the heights of Gothic grandeur that keep Poe held in esteem today. Read full review

Betsy Sharkey

Oct 23, 2014

On the surface, Anderson seems to have all the necessary pieces for a surreal psycho pop. But the fear factor eludes him, leaving Stonehearst Asylum more insipid than insane. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Oct 24, 2014

It may not be his worst film overall, but Stonehearst is Anderson’s flattest film, a disappointingly shallow affair that wastes an opportunity to breathe life into a timeless Edgar Allen Poe short story. Read full review

Mary Houlihan

Oct 23, 2014

Despite its cast and convincing backdrop, Stonehearst Asylum is a tame entry in today’s roster of horror films. Read full review

Clarence Tsui

Oct 22, 2014

Brad Anderson has basically thrown everything into the film's furnace so as to keep its wobbly narrative running — to no avail, sadly: as the leaps between genre tropes and divergent threads exposes ever wider plot holes, this incoherent adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe attempts endless twists and turns culminating in a supposedly cathartic denouement drenched in sap. Read full review

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User Reviews

nonaste

Feb 4, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great movie and there's so few of those, sadly. Excellent plot, surprising twist, climatic conclusion and, last but not least, a happy ending. Bravo.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

Roachramirez

Nov 3, 2014

Una pelicula que desde el principio es entretenida , buenas actuaciones y muy buenos escenarios y con un final muy agradable, definitivo es muy palomera.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

drone41

May 20, 2018

Awesome story by Edgar Alan Poe, it's really bad that this movie is so short and not have better production, because actors and plot are great.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

quincytheodore

Feb 4, 2015

It's a terrifying idea that we can't trust medical professionals, let alone professionals of mental institution, in secluded England rural of last century no less. The movie plays with this innate distress particularly well, although it does venture to more preposterous realm sometimes. ItsIt's a terrifying idea that we can't trust medical professionals, let alone professionals of mental institution, in secluded England rural of last century no less. The movie plays with this innate distress particularly well, although it does venture to more preposterous realm sometimes. Its star power and great original source make for a great mystery thriller and while it doesn't necessary produce genuine terror, it will most likely be pleasant to horror genre enthusiasts.

The story revolves around a new doctor Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) as he visits the titular asylum only to find that the institution harbors illicit secrets, and most importantly a certain beauty Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale). With other cast such as Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine and David Thewlis, the film has an edge for acting. Kate Beckinsale is superb here, she's an enigmatic enchanting damsel-in-distress. She could just simply standing and already a good cast for wallflower character, add the mysterious touch of alluring personality, Eliza is as good as female lead as any you could hope for.

The others deliver stellar performance as well. Ben Kinsley and Michael Caine create less than sensible figure of authority with questionable methods, although Ben Kingsley does resemble his character in Shutter Island a bit too much. David Thewlis as the more roguish caretaker has whimsical threatening poise, but this eccentricity doesn't really exemplify a fully villainous antagonist personality. The film script is elegant and the venerable cast has no problem on delivering it in the same fashion.

Cinematography works in the confined space, the asylum feels claustrophobic and inescapable. The movie sets a tone of doubt from its depiction of insanity and the mystery of who are plagued by it, along with the near tortuous alleged cure of such illness. However, the exaggerated tone occasionally becomes too silly for its own good, it has goes beyond quirky to just plain ridiculousness. In this case, more restraint to the wicked would've been better.

During the tour it feels as though Stonehearst Asylum could've been more polished, but its clever twists, excellent assembly and Kate Beckinsale in the green dress are more than enough reasons for a visit.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

S1r-R34l

Mar 6, 2017

Very loosely based on an Edgar Allan Poe short story, this misses so many chances to add suspense, tension, terror; but chooses to be a love story. Good acting and decent direction cannot make up for this... could have been so much better.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Violett

Jul 10, 2017

Not a bad movie, but not even close to Shutter Island. Lets compare - both movies share quite similar idea - asylum, things are not as it seems, mystery, surprise ending. Both movies begin promicing - there is some deep mystery main hero tried to decipher through the lenght of a story, butNot a bad movie, but not even close to Shutter Island. Lets compare - both movies share quite similar idea - asylum, things are not as it seems, mystery, surprise ending. Both movies begin promicing - there is some deep mystery main hero tried to decipher through the lenght of a story, but then things become much different. Seriously, why this love story is here? Really out of place. If the author wants to see the real mystery of love he should see Illusionist movie. Here it looks weak and dull. The ending, unfortunately, is quite weak aswell. He is a patient, but not a doctor, he faked them all, what a surprise. And then he became a director of an asylum, lol. 610 and mostly for Kingsley masterplay.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Sep 7, 2017

The film is not bad, but it is not something remarkable, a shame considering that the story and its cast are very interesting, in the technical side is also good, but there is something that feels disconnected, something that is missing to give an identity to the whole plot.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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