Shutter Island- She said

There isn’t much I can say about Shutter Island. That’s mainly because I don’t want to spoiler the movie, so this review is going to be really difficult. All the praise and problems I had with the movie will cause me to go into spoiler territory. However, the movie will lose its magic and awesomeness if I do that. So, alas, I am at a crossroads. I will say that the previews for Shutter Island are kind of misleading. Yes, it is a thriller, but the previews paint it more as a horror movie, and it’s more suspenseful if anything.

Everyone in this movie is in fine form. Obviously DiCaprio, Ruffalo, Kingsley are all amazing, but I was more intrigued with all the other mental patients on the island. All of these actors were so engrossed in their roles that it added to the eerie ambiance of the mystery. You never knew if these patients were telling the truth when they were talking to DiCaprio’s character or if their “mental state” was getting the way and they were lying. This adds so much depth to the mystery…who’s telling the truth and what should I believe and am I crazy?? The mood in the movie is so tense you’re expecting some new twist around every corner. Everyone on the island brings a sense of dysfunction and uncertainty, even the doctors and orderlies. They subtle nuances about them that make you wonder what their motives are.


I also loved the fact that everything in this movie is connected. Everything comes full circle by the end. The movie is so well made that it never had to have flashbacks of “clues” because you remembered all the clues. There were some parts during the midpoint of the movie that dragged. I wasn’t sure where the story was going or why some things were happening. Also, there were some very convenient thematic devices throughout the movie that, when looking back once the mystery is solved, seemed almost too convenient. For the most part though, you can overlook those things. Overall the story is effective in keeping you interested and engaged. Some may even solve the case before the ending. If you do, I’m impressed.


This movie has the remnants of Cuckoo’s Nest, with a splash of Memento, vision of The Departed, and the suspense of The Sixth Sense. Scorsese is a master storyteller, and he doesn’t disappoint. There are more problems that I really want to talk about, but I don’t want to spoiler the movie. Everything depends on not be spoiled. That’s the way the movie works. I wish this movie would have been released when it was scheduled back in October. I believe it would have been a contender for a Best Picture nomination (now with the 10 nominees). Lots of discussions will happen when people walk out of this movie, and you’ll question what you saw and what you believe…and that’s always fantastic.