Twisted, somber, but hugely entertaining Scorcese thriller

Rating: 9/10 (31 December 2015)

Martin Scorcese has laid many cinematic landmarks in crime genre, and as a result, has earned a spot as one of the most influential directors to ever step foot in Hollywood. He has been met with much critical acclaim with his gritty portrayal of the gangster life in his film such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York, and The Departed. Teaming up with his frequent collaborator Leonardo Dicaprio, Scorcese takes a more dark and surreal direction in this psychological thriller set with plenty of twists and turns. Leonardo Dicaprio plays U.S Marshal Teddy Daniels, who travels across seas to investigate a mysterious and deserted island along with his partner Chucke Aule (played by Mark Ruffalo). There lies a hospital run by Dr. Cawley (played by Ben Kingsley) and Dr. Neahring (played by Max Von Sydow) holding mentally insane prisoners, where Daniels and Aule are in search of a patient named Rachel who has mysteriously disappeared. Going further into their investigation, the two quickly turn the dark and sinister secrets behind the wretched prison of a hospital, soon to the point where Daniels deteriorating of his mental state and his identity all together.
Mixing elements of neo noir and elements of pure horror, this film conveys a dark and surreal plot that unfolds to something truly shocking and well crafted in a unique way. The psychological elements conveyed throughout the story go very deep in ways that may remind those who seen films like 'Seven' or 'The Sixth Sense' as these both deal with individuals who are psychological damaged. This film paces steadily through one spine- chilling thrill after another, and as the story progresses, the tone gets more and more eerie; building up an astonishing plot twist at the end that is likely to leave you startled. Like David Fincher's 'Seven', this film never lightens up in tone, giving you the feeling of hopelessness throughout its run time, yet it's still entertaining. The plot doesn't go without its flaws however. The film has its moments where gets overly convoluted to the point I could leave you scratching your head. Ultimately, the plot picks up not to soon before it reaches its grim climax.
Leonardo Dicaprio has been one of my favorite actors for as long I can remember, an actors always shows off powerful performances, yet has never landed an Oscar for his works. His performance as the main character Teddy Daniels is terrific. He is very charismatic throughout, especially when his character go through some spine-chilling changes. Mark Ruffalo who plays his partner also deserves some applause for his performance, playing his role very solid and willfully. Ruffalo is who I believe is an underrated actor and hope garners an Oscar one day (as well as Dicaprio).
Shutter Island is a twisted, but stunning piece of entertainment by Martin Scorcese, complete with a terrific screenplay, powerful performances, and a strong narrative that grabs your attention. This is much different than the typical Scorcese fare. Nonetheless, it is astonishingly entertaining.