‘Shutter Island’ Insider Movie Review
Yet another Scorsese & DiCaprio successful collaboration?
There’s no denying that the famous director Martin Scorsese and the equally talented actor Leonardo DiCaprio have a wonderful chemistry together.
Having worked with each other on 5 movies so far: The Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2010) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). With another two in the pipeline; Killers of the Flower Moon (2021) and Roosevelt (2021)
Like all their movies together so far, Shutter Island was a big commercial and critical success.
So was it any good? The simple answer is yes, in fact it is very good.
Breaking it all down
I’ll be completely honest…
Shutter Island is quite intriguing from the very beginning. It starts with two US Marshals, one played by DiCapio, visiting Ashecliffe psychiatric Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island in Boston Harbor.
The year is 1954 and the movie’s attention to detail quickly pulls you into this absorbing and compelling story. The Marshals arrive just as an almighty storm is about to hit the Island.
They are there to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a woman inmate who had been incarcerated for drowning her three young children.
And as DiCaprio’s investigation gathers pace, it becomes apparent that nothing is quite what it seems.
So this is a subtle and complex movie, with many layers, with many twists and turns. But far from alienating the viewer, it skillfully draws you in, as you too try desperately to solve this mystery.
It is an atmospheric rollercoaster ride of a movie, which is handled skillfully by Scorsese and DiCaprio’s portrayal of a man that is determined to get to the bottom of all the intrigue that Shutter Island has to offer.
His acting is a master class of understated emotion, as the actor portrays bewilderment, anger, moral conviction and a whole host of emotions in a restrained manner. A true marvel to behold.
Essential Movie Details
By the way… did you know?
- Grossed over 250 million dollars at the cinema worldwide.
- The title of the movie is an anagram of “truths and lies”.
- Both Ashecliffe Psychiatric Hospital and Shutter Island are fictitious places.
- DiCaprio has been nominated 6 times for an Oscar, winning one for The Revenant in 2016. Whereas Scorsese has been nominated 9 times for Best Director, winning one for Goodfellas in 1990.
In The End
And just when towards the end, you are starting to wonder how on earth they are going to make sense of it all, it gives a satisfactory, yet harrowing explanation. Delivering a conclusion that leaves you stunned, saddened and genuinely moved.
And when our main character and possible hero says:
“Is it better to live as a monster or die as a hero?”
His words will stay with you and haunt you long after the movie has finished.
So yes, it is yet another successful Scorsese and DiCaprio collaboration, and I am sure there will be many more to come.
Other similar themed movies that I would highly recommend:
- Identity (2003): This psychological murder mystery movie, follows a series of murders at a motel, that after each new victims seems increasingly harder and harder to be plausible. But miraculously at the end of the movie, it ties up all the loose ends convincingly, with an ending that in hindsights makes perfect sense.
- Zodiac (2007): This mystery thriller explores in a thought provoking way the events carried out by a truelife serial killer in the San Francisco area in the late 1960’s. It then skillfully leaves you the viewer to try and figure out who the killer might really have been? It makes for gripping viewing from the very start, right to the very end.
- The Snowman (2017): This psychological thriller is set in Norway and is about a serial killer who leaves a snowman as his calling card. Very much a guilty pleasure, as it is very cliche at times, farfetched and with a lot of plot holes. But it has a certain charm and is different enough to be entertaining.
Where to Watch
Ready to watch Shutter Island online free after our IMDB, Wiki & Rotten Tomatoes style movie review? Well, instead of hitting up Netflix, Reddit, 123movies, Prime or Putlocker for Shutter Island streaming, just visit us at Homestream.
You’ll get Shutter Island explained at Homestream. You can read Shutter Island quotes, scripts and reviews. You’ll see Shutter Island cast, release date and trailers. If you liked this article please follow us on Medium for more in-depth movie reviews!
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Ashley Mills grew up in Nevada and graduated with a degree in government from UNLV. After working at Final Cut Magazine as an editorial assistant, she became a freelance writer in California, where she eventually began to write about movies for the Arts & Leisure section of major publications.
In 2015 she became the movie critic at the a popular Northeastern newspaper, where she stayed for nearly two years before moving to Delaware to be the movie critic at a local newspaper. She left in 2019 and began working at Homestream. She writes entertainment pieces on movies, television shows and popular culture.
You can connect with Ashley on Homestream’s Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or by visiting our website.
