Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Stonehearst Asylum Blu-ray Movie Review

Just how "crazy" is "crazy?"

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 16, 2014

Note: What follows throughout this review hints strongly enough at the movie's surprises that it could be construed as one big spoiler.

Believe nothing of what you hear and only one-half of what you see.

"The lunatics are running the asylum!" is a phrase not often taken in its literal context, used instead as a metaphor to describe a situation in which those in charge are perceived to be inadequate, not up to the task, or in some way out of touch with the people they serve or unfamiliar with the practices over which they have been given charge. But at the old out-of-the-way, turn-of-the-last-century Stonehearst Asylum, that phrase seems to be the order of the day, the way things are, finally a verifiable, truest-sense use of the phrase. But who is it, exactly, that's insane? Who are the real lunatics? Director Brad Anderson's (The Call) aptly-titled Stonehearst Asylum (also known as Eliza Graves) takes a lengthy look inside an institution in which, indeed, the lunatics -- the people who are deemed mentally unfit to participate in free society -- have turned the tables and taken control of the facility. The Edgar Allan Poe-inpired film features a moody start and builds towards an intriguing arc that sadly gives way to a needlessly flashy finale and the obligatory end-minutes twist, but it's a decent enough journey through the upside down world of the mentally challenged who, give them credit, manage to outwit those very people who call them "crazy."

Take a good look...what do you see? And what do they see?

Budding Alienist ("a doctor who specializes in asylum medicine") Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) has arrived at Stonehearst Asylum where he hopes to gain practical field work experience and complete his studies to become a full-time medical professional. He's greeted at the secluded institution by its superintendent, Dr. Lamb (Ben Kingsley), whose methods and structure are a bit more harsh yet more practical, for the time, compared to the more idealistic and modern methods espoused by the young Newgate. But his mind is instantly captured by a patient named Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale) for whom Newgate develops deep feelings. An unexpected discovery, however, alters his perception of the asylum and the people both running and inhabiting it, leaving him to decide whether to do what he can to set things straight or attempt an escape with Eliza at his side.

Following a darkly intriguing key prologue featuring Brendan Gleeson as a professor of "alienism," Stonehearst Asylum opens with a beautifully moody sequence in which Newgate arrives at the titular location and discovers almost immediately a world full of possibilities to expand on his knowledge of the mentally ill. However, his arrival is met with some skepticism by the resident superintendent, a man whose methods don't always align with the young doctor's own beliefs. The picture builds up as something of a fascinating back-and-forth between two unique outlooks on the care of the mentally unstable (which will become a point of great contextual fascination later in the film and provide a reason to re-watch it). These character performances are tight and precise, with the younger Sturgess confidently standing toe-to-toe with the far more seasoned Kingsley, a legendary actor whose turn in Stonehearst won't be remembered as one of his ten finest but rather strong evidence of his range and ability to so precisely shape even a character who is here far more multi-faceted than the audience is initially led to believe. Sturgess, likewise, carries his part in a similar manner and in many ways bests Kingsley if only for the challenge of developing a character who is even more enigmatic than any other, despite the outward appearance to the contrary. Michael Caine and Kate Beckinsale are also strong in parts that challenge the performers to build upon mysterious hidden agendas and audience deception.

But where the film falters is in its second half, which tends to drag the proceedings out a little bit longer than seems necessary and hinders what was otherwise a strong first-half pacing. Once the primary twist is set into motion, things continue an uphill climb of suspense but slowly fall back down to earth when the film drifts from a more inward, reflective, psychological mystery piece to something built on more of an action-influenced tone that crescendos in a disappointing pre-last-twist finale that's too much movement and physical chaos and too little of the more deeply rooted mind games that made the movie borderline great in its earlier stages. That aforementioned final twist may come as something of a revelation, but it's not exactly anything that could be considered "mind blowing," at least not on the surface, in this day-and-age of must-have twists. Where it will really work well is on a second viewing, one where the audience may pay closer attention to character nuance and story specifics in an effort to pick up on any hints that may have been missed the first time around. And that returns the movie full-circle back to the more mentally engaging aspects, a Horror movie not in the typical slash/kill variety but in a more disconcerting, psychological style where the true villain can be, and here often is, the mind itself.

Stonehearst Asylum Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Stonehearst Asylum is admitted onto Blu-ray with a deliberately cold and lifeless 1080p transfer. Though colors are somewhat drained and the image favors a pale, sometimes almost grayscale appearance with precious little in the way of colorful flash -- that's reserved for a few specific scenes -- it's nevertheless well defined and appropriately represented for its natural values. Black levels never present much problem, frequently appearing deep and honest with only a few light hints of aggressive paleness. Flesh tones, of course, often appear a bit drained and lightly ghostly. Details, however, are frequently impressive, with complex facial and clothing textures revealed with little effort and much intricacy. Odds and ends around the asylum -- furniture, medical utensils, a dusty wooden floor -- appear very well defined and naturally sharp. The image does suffer from a few stray bouts of shimmering edges, noted particularly in the opening classroom scene, but it's otherwise free of major defect. All in all, this is a very good presentation from Millennium Entertainment.

Stonehearst Asylum Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Stonehearst Asylum features an all-around solid performer in its Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film opens with some quality dialogue reverberation around the rather large lecture hall that immediately immerses the listener in the location and easily replicates the audio experience. The surrounds further enjoy some subtle and aggressive ambient effects as Newgate arrives at the asylum. A brisk breeze, lingering thunder cracks, cackling birds, and stringy music all set a fairly dramatic stage and play with a naturally wide and full-on surround experience. Music is consistently well defined and clear with naturally wide spacing, whether overlay or in-story music as heard during a ballroom dance in chapter nine. A few heavier action effects play with decent authority, and the low end kicks in with some necessary power in a few key moments. Dialogue, however, dominates the film and plays with effortless center-focused clarity and vocal nuance. This is a quality effort all around from Millennium Entertainment.

Stonehearst Asylum Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from an assortment of trailers for other Millennium titles, including Stonehearst Asylum, Automata, The Taking of Deborah Logan, Are You Here, and Fading Gigolo (presented in 480i rather than 1080p, sadly), this Blu-ray release of Stonehearst Asylum contains only "Making Of" Featurette (1080i, 5:37), a piece that looks briefly into movie origins and making the film, including translating the short Poe story into a feature film, cast and characters, story details, and more. Clips from the film support cast and crew interviews.

Stonehearst Asylum Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Stonehearst Asylum has its moments of brilliance, and the final twist, as generic as it may be, does at the very least shift the movie so far from all of its previous context that it merits a second viewing just to see if the audience can pick it apart, armed with the knowledge of how it plays out by the end. Unfortunately, however, the film slows considerably in its second act and culminates in a pre-twist, for lack of a better descriptor, "action sequence" that feels out of place in what was before a more grounded, thoughtful picture rather than something more aggressively styled. Nevertheless, it's a quality little slice of entertainment, more a thinking man's movie to be sure but one with enough value to merit a watch for even more casually inclined audiences who should at least enjoy what amounts to a rather memorable ensemble. Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Stoneheasrt Asylum features good video and audio. Supplements are limited to a trailer and a brief featurette. Definitely worth a rental and perhaps a buy at a wallet-friendly price.