Review of Gothika (2003) by Filipeneto — 14 Mar 2021

I know that this film was devastated by critics, and I can even understand some reasons why it was pulverised. But I can't help liking it anyway, and feeling that it was quite pleasant to see. The story revolves around Miranda Gray, a psychiatrist who works in a prison ward managed by her husband, who is also a psychiatrist by profession. One night, when she returns home, she has to turn away because the rain has damaged the road, and when she crosses a bridge she meets a young woman in the middle of the road and almost runs over her. Upon awakening, Miranda realizes that she is, herself, trapped in the psychiatric ward, accused of killing her husband.

I confess that I do not see this film as a horror film. This is, perhaps, the reason why I liked it: I was not expecting to be afraid, just a good and intriguing mystery story with some supernatural touches. And that is what the film gives us. Of course, it has strong scenes, of course it has scares, but it is not enough to make it a horror film, and if the advertising tried to sell it as such, then it was wrong, and it was deceiving people. In fact, the supernatural is important in the film, but even more important is the way Miranda tries to find out what happened and who killed her husband. The film works very well most of the time, but after a certain moment, nearing the end, we feel the material wear out, and we realize that director Kassovitz and screenwriter Gutierrez no longer know how to end the story for them created. The result is obvious: a passive ending, which will draw inspiration from other films, such as "Sixth Sense".

The cast is decent enough for the film it is. Halle Berry was going through an excellent phase of her career: she had just reaped the fruits of hits like "X-Men" and "Die Another Day". In fact, if we want to be honest, her work on this film is competent, and she even manages to give quality to the film. The problem is the material she received from the screenwriter, and particularly in the final part of the film, where things really fall apart. Robert Downey Jr is also an excellent actor, but he has little to do here. Penélope Cruz is convincing and credible in her role, but she too has little to add. Charles Dutton does a discreet but competent job and John Lynch is a predictable villain.

At a technical level, it is a fairly average film. Cinematography is considerably within what could be expected and takes advantage of the most common visual and special effects. Even without anything surprising or innovative, it fulfills its role well. The sets and costumes do not bring us anything special, and CGI ensures the largest share of the scares. The soundtrack is forgettable.