Based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, we are taken to "Stonehearst Asylum" in Scotland where no one is as they seem.
Dr. Newgate (Jim Sturgess) arrives at Stonehearst Asylum to complete his medical training. The residents of the asylum are happy and aren't treated as one would expect. Dr. Lamb (Ben Kingsley) cares for his patients. Dr. Newgate is immediately taken by Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale) and when she warns him to leave, he realizes life at the asylum may not be as perfect as it seems. He begins to question the work of Dr. Lamb and caretaker Mickey Finn (David Thewlis) especially when he discovers a man by the name of Salt (Michael Cane) who claims to be the actual doctor for the asylum.
Director Brad Anderson does a wonderful job in keeping the audience questioning the characters and their intentions. The cast is awesome and all the performances are note worthy. The film itself is great as it makes one think as to what really is the best way to treat someone who is deemed a mad man.
The film is aware of the plight of those that are mad and the ways in which they were treated in the past. When the twist is revealed it did catch me off guard, but the overall reveal of who was sane and who was not could have been better. Intriguing and clever, the film is able to keep you guessing.
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