Gothika (2003)

A repressed female 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.

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

Dr. Miranda Grey Is An Expert At Knowing What Is Rational, What Is Logical, What Is Sane... Until The Day She Woke Up On The Other Side.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, brief language and nudity

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:

Gotika

Filming Locations:

Oka, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,288,438, 23 November 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$59,694,580

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$81,896,744

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

The Anima Sola, a.k.a. Lonely Soul, tattoo, an important plot point, is a medieval image depicting a soul, often a female, suffering in the flames of purgatory. Her arms, on which hang broken chains, are lifted towards heaven, indicating that her suffering is over and she is about to rise to heaven. It is most prevalent in Catholic cultures.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, they are supposed to be in New York City. However, as Chloe is getting into the cab, you can see a (partially burnt out) Tim Horton's sign in the background. Tim Horton's is a Canadian coffee shop not found in New York. However, in the years after this movie was made, Tim Horton's did open shops in New York.

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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 After Hours: What Movie Ghost Would You Rather be Haunted By (2017)

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Soundtracks

Reach Out I'll Be There
(uncredited)
Written by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland (as Edward Holland Jr.)
Performed by The Four Tops
Courtesy of Motown Records
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

A horror I liked!

People really must lighten up about movies. Before they were for pure entertainment, and could be as good or bad as they wanted to be, but they were to be watched for pleasure and not to be scrutinised to death.

Gothika was entertaining; it was fun, scary, sinister and spooky. It was good and if we look over the predictability and insignificant holes then we can maybe see a good movie. The characters were great, Miranda and Chloe heading a thoroughly good cast that carried a more than decent movie. The directing must be given its due credit, and this is a much better movie overall than the mess of 'parodies' and 'romantic comedies' that are tumbling out of the cinema right now like a drowning and persistent tidal wave.

I personally fell in love with the movie after never seeing a horror before in my life. In my mind it reaches to be one of Halle Berry's best movies to date, and my favourite movie of the year so far. Then again I can sit back and let myself enjoy a movie instead of waiting hungrily for holes and bloopers to come out and entertain me instead.

8/10