The latest film from Dark Castle Entertainment finally arrives on UK shores, amid a lot of publicity, after all, they might as well milk it for all it’s worth.
Halle Berry stars as Dr. Miranda Gray in this one woman show, about a criminal psychologist who is involved in an accident, only to wake up and find herself an inmate at the institiute where she works, being accused of grisly things.
I don’t really need to divulge any more plot details, as they are explained in painstaking detail, to the very last.
What I will comment on is the wonderful locations, lighting and to some extent atmosphere, no doubt enhanced by the talents of Director Matthieu Kassovitz.
Halle Berry is very good in her role and if nothing else makes Miranda, a smart, sexy and more importantly real horror heroine. The fact that she chose this post Oscar is a big middle finger to all those who continue to belittle and berate the genre, despite the talent that it consistently produces and attracts.
I was initially annoyed that the producers were telling of their ability to elevate the material with the cast they had, but whilst it does not feel like a Dark Castle film, all of the conventions present in the 3 previous films are here too, as well as an excellent joke about 50’s B-movies.
In the end, Gothika has a strong first half, taking its time to develop its characters before getting to the horror. Where it falters is in its repetetive nature and its overlong explanation and conclusion, which by that point is blatantly obvious anyway!
OVERALL SUMMARY
Whilst the reason behind the ghostly goings on was very unexpected, the film still seems a little too far fetched even for my liking. There are some plot holes here that left me asking plenty questions!! Despite these slight annoyances, the film isn’t too bad.
