Gothika

Warner Home Video | Release Date: November 21, 2003

6.5	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 95 Ratings

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RitaP.Feb 15, 2006

Not bad as a horror movie/ supernatural thriller but not a film you would watch again.

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WillAug 11, 2011

The first half of "Gothika" is great. John Ottmin's soundtrack combined with Matthew Libatique's cinematography and Kassovitz's direction helped create very creepy atmospheric tension. Although some may find her constant screaming excessive,The first half of "Gothika" is great. John Ottmin's soundtrack combined with Matthew Libatique's cinematography and Kassovitz's direction helped create very creepy atmospheric tension. Although some may find her constant screaming excessive, Halle Berry's acting was great throughout the whole movie. There were a lot of scenes that tried to jump scare you, but none of them worked. There is no gore (with the exception of several cuts on arms, and blood writing on walls), so the movie relies on creepiness alone, and most of that is gone by the third act. There is a contrived plot twist near the end, and another very obvious (yet still ridiculous) one. There are loads of plot holes in "Gothika", and a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion. However, before the third act, I nevertheless had good time.… Expand

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TheGorillaAug 27, 2011

I'm not that into Horror flicks, but I think that this one is pretty decent. The script was a little bit weak and the talented cast was wasted on a so-so cliche plot. But, it was entertaining. This is a rare occasion when I disagree with theI'm not that into Horror flicks, but I think that this one is pretty decent. The script was a little bit weak and the talented cast was wasted on a so-so cliche plot. But, it was entertaining. This is a rare occasion when I disagree with the critics, but yes, I've enjoyed Gothika.… Expand

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PiranteDec 6, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The frustrating thing about a movie like Gothika is that there are some really good elements, and some really interesting ideas, that are never fully realized and this leaves you, the watcher, with a sense of disappointment. The premise of the movie - a former psychiatric doctor finds herself in the position as patient after committing a heinous crime - is an interesting hook and something that draws your attention immediately. The first act of the movie is incredibly strong in which the patients delusions coupled with memory loss really show how helpless the position 'clinically insane' is. It also demonstrates how such places, like psychiatric hospitals, can contribute and almost lead, to a worsening of said delusions. I Also think it was one of the better portrayals of mental illness - say what you want about Halle Berry but she plays the role well and the sense of confusion and hopelessness in the patient is done well. My biggest criticism of the movie, and this will sound strange considering it is billed as a horror movie, are the supernatural elements. The psychiatrist/patient being guided by a ghost to solve the eventual crime is a really, really weak story line and would have worked better if the 'ghost' acted as a mere hallucination in response to the trauma of finding out the truth about her partner. It is, I suppose, passable at first but, as the movie proceeds, it becomes more and more ludicrous until it loses all credibility and, at that point, so to does the movie. There was an opportunity here to create a really powerful piece of cinema focusing on mental illness, society's treatment of it, and the sort of triggers for said illness. Instead the supernatural element is just pushed to excess which, rather than building on the strong start to the movie, weakens it significantly. There are many ludicrous moments but the alarming ease in which our protagonist is able to escape a mental institution is laughable and by far the worst. The movie, again and again, veers toward a Hollywood style movie when its best points are the moments when it resists such temptations. Sadly this stylistic choice becomes more and more obvious until the 3rd act reverts completely to type in order to wrap everything up in a nice, neat package. There are some really great elements in this movie but they are lost amidst the clamour for a more commercially acceptable movie and, sadly, the movie suffers as a result. The potential here is huge and, if this was made into a straight up psychological thriller (without the supernatural elements), could have been something very interesting. Instead interest wanes quickly and, by the last third of the movie, you may wonder why you even bother to continue watching. I can't imagine people who love horror movies being all that enamoured with this offering; I can't imagine people who love psychological thrillers being all that enamoured with this offering - this movie was too afraid to either be straight up horror or straight up thriller and as a result we get a confusing mess which tries to be both, but never really succeeds in being either. I suspect the rating (12+) merely contributed to this mess and, as a result, an opportunity for a really great movie is passed by. It is worth watching one time but I can almost guarantee that you will not come back for a second helping - and why would you? Any suspense or ambiguity is completely stamped out of the movie by the end, and this heavy handed approach to the story is perhaps the biggest issue this movie has.… Expand

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LoletinAlexisMay 15, 2021

Gothika is a good idea, but very predictable and regularly executed in the end.

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FilipeNetoMar 14, 2021

I know that this film was devastated by critics, and I can even understand some reasons why it was pulverised. But I can't help liking it anyway, and feeling that it was quite pleasant to see. The story revolves around Miranda Gray, aI know that this film was devastated by critics, and I can even understand some reasons why it was pulverised. But I can't help liking it anyway, and feeling that it was quite pleasant to see. The story revolves around Miranda Gray, a psychiatrist who works in a prison ward managed by her husband, who is also a psychiatrist by profession. One night, when she returns home, she has to turn away because the rain has damaged the road, and when she crosses a bridge she meets a young woman in the middle of the road and almost runs over her. Upon awakening, Miranda realizes that she is, herself, trapped in the psychiatric ward, accused of killing her husband.

I confess that I do not see this film as a horror film. This is, perhaps, the reason why I liked it: I was not expecting to be afraid, just a good and intriguing mystery story with some supernatural touches. And that is what the film gives us. Of course, it has strong scenes, of course it has scares, but it is not enough to make it a horror film, and if the advertising tried to sell it as such, then it was wrong, and it was deceiving people. In fact, the supernatural is important in the film, but even more important is the way Miranda tries to find out what happened and who killed her husband. The film works very well most of the time, but after a certain moment, nearing the end, we feel the material wear out, and we realize that director Kassovitz and screenwriter Gutierrez no longer know how to end the story for them created. The result is obvious: a passive ending, which will draw inspiration from other films, such as "Sixth Sense".

The cast is decent enough for the film it is. Halle Berry was going through an excellent phase of her career: she had just reaped the fruits of hits like "X-Men" and "Die Another Day". In fact, if we want to be honest, her work on this film is competent, and she even manages to give quality to the film. The problem is the material she received from the screenwriter, and particularly in the final part of the film, where things really fall apart. Robert Downey Jr is also an excellent actor, but he has little to do here. Penélope Cruz is convincing and credible in her role, but she too has little to add. Charles Dutton does a discreet but competent job and John Lynch is a predictable villain.

At a technical level, it is a fairly average film. Cinematography is considerably within what could be expected and takes advantage of the most common visual and special effects. Even without anything surprising or innovative, it fulfills its role well. The sets and costumes do not bring us anything special, and CGI ensures the largest share of the scares. The soundtrack is forgettable.… Expand

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