“Stonehearst Asylum: You’ll Never Leave These Walls” is based on a short story by horror master Edgar Allan Poe. The story is called “The system of Dr. Teer und Prof. Feder” and has been filmed several times – for example for French television, as an episode of the cult TV series “Alfred Hitchcock presents” or as an Indian cinema film “Athiran” (2019). The world’s most famous adaptation is probably “Stonehearst Asylum” by “The Machinist” director Brad Anderson and screenwriter Joe Gangemi (“The Frozen Death”).
“Stonehearst Asylum” airs today, July 25, 2023, at 8:15 PM on Tele 5. The broadcaster shows a repeat of the same night at 1:50 am. You can also buy the movie as a Blu-ray, DVD or paid video-on-demand:
Thanks to the “Underworld” series, in the year of release 2014, Kate Beckinsale acted at the highest star level. And besides her, there were many other familiar faces in front of the camera: most notably Oscar winners Ben Kingsley (“Ghandi”) and Michael Caine (“The Dark Knight”). They were joined by Jim Sturgess (“Across The Universe”), Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees Of Inisherin”), Jason Flemyng (“From Hell”) and David Thewlis of “The Sandman”.
“Stonehearst Asylum” on Tele 5: That’s the story
It’s Christmas Eve 1899: Edward Newgate (Jim Sturges) has completed his studies in psychology and is now looking for his first job. In the closed Stonehearst Psychiatric Hospital, he is taken care of by the head of the institution, Dr. Lamb (Ben Kingsley) with open arms and not only shows him around the property, but also explains his forward-thinking methods.
The young neurologist is surprised that the mentally ill are not handcuffed or anesthetized with drugs, as was customary at the time. They can even roam freely on the property expressing their individual idiosyncrasies to an astonishing degree.
Among the patients is the equally attractive and melancholic Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale). Edward is immediately mysteriously attracted to her. But then he hears suspicious noises coming from the dark basement of the building. He follows them and discovers a captive man (Michael Caine), who claims to be the actual head of the facility…
For Shutter Island fans
The main reason why “Stonehearst Asylum”, despite its impressive star power, flopped at the UK and US box office and was then only released to home theater in Germany was probably marketing. That sold the film as belonging to the horror subject matter. But it’s more about a rather conservatively staged, pleasant old-fashioned gothic horror story.
Of course there are a few moments of shock. But they are usually more psychological than bloody in nature. In addition, director Anderson is not even out to shock the audience bluntly. Instead, he wants to send shivers down his spine with a gloomy atmosphere and surprise the viewers with cleverly used twists.
He’s been really good at this for a long time. Only in the last third does Anderson get a little carried away and the film moves towards an unnecessarily shrill finale, which robs the whole of its effectiveness. Nevertheless, fans of spooky tales from Victorian England and Martin Scorsese’s not-incomparable “Shutter Island” are welcome to tune in here.
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