Asylum
A young psychiatrist probes four asylum inmates whose bizarre stories blur the boundary between delusion, revenge, and supernatural truth.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- foreboding
- macabre
- classic horror night
- anthology marathon
What critics said
Critics generally regard it as an entertaining and well-structured British horror anthology, though the individual segments vary in quality and some pacing and endings feel uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
A young psychiatrist interviews four inmates whose individual accounts form the film's successive horror episodes.
The psychiatrist must determine whether the inmates' stories are delusions, truthful recollections, or something more disturbing.
Reviews characterize the film as both funny and unsettling, while its bizarre stories offset grisly and disturbing moments.
One inmate constructs miniature robots with lifelike human heads, creating the film's distinctive creepy doll imagery.
Films like Asylum, and why
Tales from the Crypt
shared british horror anthology structure, macabre storytelling, and darkly playful atmosphere
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
shared portmanteau horror format, supernatural tales, and period british genre sensibility
The House That Dripped Blood
shared psychological unease, institutional confinement, and unsettling anthology storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Roy Ward Baker
- Release Date
- 1972-11-17
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (203)
Cast
- Peter Cushing
- Patrick Magee
- Herbert Lom
- Britt Ekland
- Barry Morse
- Charlotte Rampling
- Barbara Parkins
- Robert Powell
- Sylvia Syms
- Richard Todd
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Midnight Pulp, Bloodstream, Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Asylum about?
- A young psychiatrist probes four asylum inmates whose bizarre stories blur the boundary between delusion, revenge, and supernatural truth.
- What is Asylum like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Asylum as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Asylum violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Asylum as moderate.
- What did critics think of Asylum?
- Critics generally regard it as an entertaining and well-structured British horror anthology, though the individual segments vary in quality and some pacing and endings feel uneven.
- Which films are like Asylum?
- Films with a similar feel include Tales from the Crypt, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, and The House That Dripped Blood.
- How long is Asylum?
- Asylum runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Asylum?
- In United States, Asylum streams on Philo, Midnight Pulp, Bloodstream, Artiflix.
