Gothika
Stream
Rent & Buy
After a car crash, criminal psychologist Dr. Miranda Grey regains consciousness only to find that she's a patient in the same mental institution that currently employs her. She's been accused of murdering her husband Dr. Douglas Grey — but she has no memory of committing the crime. As she tries to regain her memory and convince her co-worker, Dr. Pete Graham, of her innocence, a vengeful spirit uses her as an earthly pawn, which further convinces everyone of her guilt.
What critics thought
Gothika was roundly panned by most critics, who found its screenplay a cynical pile-up of horror and thriller clichés held together by neither logic nor coherent atmosphere. Halle Berry's performance drew some sympathy, but even admirers like Roger Ebert treated the film as a guilty pleasure rather than a serious achievement — and most critics didn't go that far.
“ghost-story clichés collide with the serial-killer clichés, and the women-behind-bars clichés give way to the wronged-women-seeking revenge clichés, the movie proves to be both too much and not enough: yet another slick, empty package of ersatz entertainment.”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
“Sebastian Gutierrez's over-cooked screenplay provides director Kassovitz with more than enough trope to hang himself, serving up every cliche from endless thunderstorms and creepy asylums to flickering strip-lights and that 'spooky' backwards sound effect that no hackneyed horror these days is ever without, before applying the tin lid with a 'twist' ending more carefully signposted than wet floors in an orthopaedic ward.”
Adam Smith·Empire
“The casting of Halle Berry is useful to the movie because she evokes a vulnerable quality that triggers our concern. Hitchcock might have wanted to work with her. He didn't cast so much for acting ability as for an innate quality.”
Roger Ebert·The Chicago Sun-Times
Genres
Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Cast & Crew
Mathieu KassovitzDirector
Halle BerryMiranda Grey
Robert Downey Jr.Pete Graham
Charles S. DuttonDouglas Grey
John Carroll LynchSheriff Ryan
Bernard HillPhil Parsons
Penélope CruzChloe Sava
Dorian HarewoodTeddy Howard
Bronwen MantelIrene
Kathleen MackeyRachel Parsons
Matthew G. TaylorTurlington
Michel PerronJoe
Andrea SheldonTracey Seavers
John OttmanComposer
Sebastian GutierrezWriter
Matthew LibatiqueCinematographyGothika
After a car crash, criminal psychologist Dr. Miranda Grey regains consciousness only to find that she's a patient in the same mental institution that currently employs her. She's been accused of murdering her husband Dr. Douglas Grey — but she has no memory of committing the crime. As she tries to regain her memory and convince her co-worker, Dr. Pete Graham, of her innocence, a vengeful spirit uses her as an earthly pawn, which further convinces everyone of her guilt.
What critics thought
Gothika was roundly panned by most critics, who found its screenplay a cynical pile-up of horror and thriller clichés held together by neither logic nor coherent atmosphere. Halle Berry's performance drew some sympathy, but even admirers like Roger Ebert treated the film as a guilty pleasure rather than a serious achievement — and most critics didn't go that far.
“ghost-story clichés collide with the serial-killer clichés, and the women-behind-bars clichés give way to the wronged-women-seeking revenge clichés, the movie proves to be both too much and not enough: yet another slick, empty package of ersatz entertainment.”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
“Sebastian Gutierrez's over-cooked screenplay provides director Kassovitz with more than enough trope to hang himself, serving up every cliche from endless thunderstorms and creepy asylums to flickering strip-lights and that 'spooky' backwards sound effect that no hackneyed horror these days is ever without, before applying the tin lid with a 'twist' ending more carefully signposted than wet floors in an orthopaedic ward.”
Adam Smith·Empire
“The casting of Halle Berry is useful to the movie because she evokes a vulnerable quality that triggers our concern. Hitchcock might have wanted to work with her. He didn't cast so much for acting ability as for an innate quality.”
Roger Ebert·The Chicago Sun-Times
Genres
Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Cast & Crew
Mathieu KassovitzDirectorHalle BerryMiranda GreyRobert Downey Jr.Pete GrahamCharles S. DuttonDouglas GreyJohn Carroll LynchSheriff RyanBernard HillPhil ParsonsPenélope CruzChloe SavaDorian HarewoodTeddy HowardBronwen MantelIreneKathleen MackeyRachel ParsonsMatthew G. TaylorTurlingtonMichel PerronJoeAndrea SheldonTracey SeaversJohn OttmanComposerSebastian GutierrezWriterMatthew LibatiqueCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy