Gothika (2003)

Ghost story in which a repressed female psychiatrist wakes up as a patient in the very asylum where she worked with no memory of why she is there and what she has done.

Director:

Mathieu Kassovitz

Writer:

Sebastian Gutierrez

Stars:

Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr., Charles S. Dutton

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Halle Berry	...	Miranda Grey
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Pete Graham
Charles S. Dutton	...	Dr. Douglas Grey
John Carroll Lynch	...	Sheriff Ryan
Bernard Hill	...	Phil Parsons
Penélope Cruz	...	Chloe Sava
Dorian Harewood	...	Teddy Howard
Bronwen Mantel	...	Irene
Kathleen Mackey	...	Rachel Parsons
Matthew G. Taylor	...	Turlington
Michel Perron	...	Joe
Andrea Sheldon	...	Tracey Seavers
Anana Rydvald	...	Glass Cell Nurse
Laura Mitchell	...	Inmate
Amy Sloan	...	Inmate

Storyline

A criminal psychologist awakens to find herself a patient in the institution where she works, with no memory of the murder she's accused of committing. As she tries to regain her memory - and her freedom - a vengeful spirit manipulates her.

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Plot Keywords:

memory | murder | patient | ghost | psychiatrist | 

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Taglines:

Not Alone.

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Genres:

Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, brief language and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Columbia Tristar [fr] WB [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gotika

Filming Locations:

Hinchinbrook, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,166,125 (Australia) (30 April 2004)

Gross:

$4,220,276 (Australia) (28 May 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Warner Bros, Dark Castle Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Halle Berry broke her arm filming a scene with Robert Downey Jr.. Downey was supposed to grab her arm and twist but twisted too hard and the arm snapped. Production was halted for eight weeks.

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Goofs

The position of the cigar on Dr. Douglas Grey's desk.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Chloe: He came back again last night and tore me like paper. He opened me like a flower of pain, and it felt good. He sank into me and set me on fire, like he always does. Made me burn from the inside out.
Miranda: How did you know it was the devil?

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Connections

Referenced in Heights (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Behind Blue Eyes"
Written by Pete Townshend
Performed by Limp Bizkit
Courtesy of Flip/Interscope Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Pschologically creepy, but a little flawed

Halle Berry plays brilliant criminal psychologist, Dr. Miranda Grey; an expert in what is rational, logical and sane. After she encounters a mysterious young girl, she finds herself confined to the institute in which she once worked; along side the patients she once treated. She has to rationalise what is real in her own mind, before she loses it forever.

The setting and atmosphere that is created in Gothika is excellent, and the movie is definitely creepy enough to jangle your nerves. Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz and Robert Downey Jnr all fit into their roles nicely; the problem is plain and simple. The storyline and script are too weak to achieve what this movie sets out to do, and because of some lame dialogue and a flawed plot the movie only manages to be decent; when it really should have been great.

6/10 It's still worth watching.