When it comes to terrifying locales, it doesn't get much scarier than a mental hospital for the criminally insane, except of course a mental hospital for the criminally insane that is on an island only accessible by a single ferry boat.
That is the setting for Martin Scorsese's newest psychological thriller "Shutter Island."
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels, who is investigating a patient disappearance at Ashcliffe Hospital located on Shutter Island.
It doesn't take long for Teddy and his partner Chuck, played by Mark Ruffalo, to realize that there is something strange about Ashcliffe, and they go about trying to uncover what it is.
Standing in their way is the staff of the hospital, headed by Dr. Cawley, played by Ben Kingsley.
The film isn't lacking in creepy moments. There are plenty of dark corridors in Ashcliffe to explore, and Scorsese does an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension as Teddy wanders around dark corridors and encounters unsettling patients.
Scorsese's incredible talent is on display throughout the film with creepy camera shots, smooth cuts and an overall wonderfully polished film.
But unfortunately, he doesn't hit the highs of some of his other films.
The biggest issue with "Shutter Island" is that it can't completely figure out what kind of film it wants to be.
Throughout the movie the suspense is built around what is really happening at Ashcliffe, and as Teddy digs deeper into the mysteries, the viewer gets a deeper insight into his own mind and motives.
Unfortunately, when the eventual twist is revealed, it isn't an incredibly mind-blowing one, and is one that an astute observer would probably pick out fairly early into the film.
While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, if the film had focused more on what Teddy was experiencing and going through instead of trying to confuse the viewer and build up curiosity, the film's ultimate climax would have been emotionally stronger.
Instead of caring how Teddy feels at the end, the viewer is left contemplating how they felt about the twists and turns of the movie, and it subtracts from the emotional connection that the audience was building with the characters.
The acting is incredibly solid throughout, which is to be expected with such a veteran cast.
Both DiCaprio and Kingsley turn in wonderful performances, but it was Ruffalo as DiCaprio's partner Chuck and Ted Levine as the warden who steal the show with their performances.
Also worth mentioning is Michelle Williams' portrayal of Teddy's late wife Dolores.
All things considered, "Shutter Island" is a beautifully made creepy flick with plenty of suspense and intrigue, but the overreliance on red herrings and simple trickery prevents it from being something truly special. t&c;
