Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- brooding
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- gothic movie night
What critics said
Critics found an atmospheric, entertaining gothic thriller with strong themes and an appealing cast, but considered it underwhelming and less frightening than its premise promised.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Stonehearst Asylum dominates the film as an isolated, ominous Victorian institution where patients and doctors occupy unstable roles.
Edward encounters an asylum governed by reversed power relations, forcing him to question who is sane and who has legitimate authority.
The film foregrounds asylum medicine and the disturbing methods used to manage patients in the late nineteenth century.
Edward's discovery beneath the asylum and the film's switching-places premise repeatedly challenge the identities and roles presented to him.
Films like Stonehearst Asylum, and why
Shutter Island
shared gothic asylum setting, psychological mystery, Victorian atmosphere, and identity reversals
The Alienist
shared period horror, institutional oppression, medical experimentation, and brooding gothic tension
The Pale Blue Eye
shared literary gothic source material, unreliable appearances, macabre atmosphere, and psychological suspense
Gothika
shared isolated institution, morally unstable authority figures, and dark psychological horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Brad Anderson
- Release Date
- 2014-10-23
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1652)
Cast
- Kate Beckinsale
- Jim Sturgess
- David Thewlis
- Brendan Gleeson
- Ben Kingsley
- Michael Caine
- Sinéad Cusack
- Jason Flemyng
- Sophie Kennedy Clark
- Christopher Fulford
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Stonehearst Asylum about?
- A newly qualified doctor enters a Victorian asylum where the patients, physicians, and rules of sanity are all more dangerous than they appear.
- What is Stonehearst Asylum like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Stonehearst Asylum as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Stonehearst Asylum violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Stonehearst Asylum as mild.
- What did critics think of Stonehearst Asylum?
- Critics found an atmospheric, entertaining gothic thriller with strong themes and an appealing cast, but considered it underwhelming and less frightening than its premise promised.
- Which films are like Stonehearst Asylum?
- Films with a similar feel include Shutter Island, The Alienist, The Pale Blue Eye, and Gothika.
- How long is Stonehearst Asylum?
- Stonehearst Asylum runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Stonehearst Asylum?
- In United States, Stonehearst Asylum streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
