Gothika (2003)

A depressed psychiatrist wakes up as a patient in the asylum where she worked, with no memory of why she is there or what she has done.

Director:

Mathieu Kassovitz

Writer:

Sebastian Gutierrez

Stars:

Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr.

3 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

Dr. Miranda Grey is a psychiatrist who works in a penitentiary, in the mental institution sector. She is married with Dr. Douglas Grey, the chief of department where Dr. Pete Graham also works. Chloe Sava, a patient of Dr. Miranda formerly abused by her stepfather, claims that she is frequently raped by the devil in her cell. After leaving the asylum in a stormy night, Dr. Miranda has a car accident, and when she wakes up, she is an inmate of the institution, being accused of an horrible crime and having no memory of the incident.

---

Plot Keywords:

psychiatrist | serial rape | mental hospital | murder of husband | rape | 

---

Taglines:

Because someone is dead doesn't mean they're gone.

---

Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, brief language and nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

Halle Berry was listed as a potential nominee on the 2004 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was suggested in the Worst Actress category for her performance in this film, she failed to receive a nomination. However, the next year she received a nomination for Worst Actress in the film Catwoman (2004) and won.

---

Goofs

There would never be just one person alone running a sheriff's office overnight, especially not if there was a prisoner being detained.

---

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?

---

Connections

Featured in On the Set of 'Gothika' (2004)

---

Soundtracks

Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Performed by The Temptations

User Reviews

Tedious asylum horror from Dark Castle

The third horror outing from Dark Castle productions (following on from HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL and THIRTEEN GHOSTS) and the first NOT to be a remake, GOTHIKA is a surprisingly serious mental-institute thriller which eschews the rubbery gore and bloodshed of the previous two movies in favour of psychological shocks and a "I'm losing my mind!" scenario. Sadly, the film as a result is rather uneventful, with too much time spent on aimless wanderings through ill-lit corridors and too little plot to carry it through. The final half hour of the film has some neat twists and is pretty eventful, but viewers must endure an hour of tedium before the payoff.

Oscar-winner Halle Berry reveals a poor choice in movies (something proved by her turn in the following year's CATWOMAN) and, whilst adequate in this turn, she's hardly outstanding. Penelope Cruz does ugly and is pretty poor, it has to be said. Hats off to Robert Downey Jr who is decent and likable as the chief doctor, whilst ALIEN 3's Charles S. Dutton is excellent in the minor role he inhabits. The only other actor of note is King Theoden, Bernard Hill, but he's wasted in what amounts to little more than a cameo.

The most annoying thing about GOTHIKA is the lighting: every shot is dark, punctuated by the flash of broken fluorescent lighting, and the resultant gloom makes the viewing experience a bit of a chore. The horror-movie 'jump' sequences are rather predictable and the film as a whole has a feel of going nowhere. Too many scenes of Berry running through the mental institute seem to use similar, better moments from TERMINATOR 2 as their inspiration, and the mystery and ghostly goings on are kept too subtle, the mystery too inexplicable to care about. Sadly, these negative factors result in a less-than-impressive film; thankfully the guys at Dark Castle went back to the remakes with this year's HOUSE OF WAX.

Details

Official Sites:

Columbia Tristar [France] WB [United States]

Country:

USA France Canada Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gothika

Filming Locations:

Oka, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,288,438, 23 November 2003

Gross USA:

$59,694,580

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$141,591,324

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros., Dark Castle Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1