Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Review Rating: 7

Dr. Miranda Grey is a psychologist in a mental hospital who after suffering strange occurences, finds herself in a complete turnaround as a patient in the same hospital.

I didn’t think I would like this film anywhere near as much as I did. Having Halle Berry in the title role is just superfluous and unnecessary, almost anyone could’ve done it. Robert Downey Jr. is in there too, as a coworker in the hospital. And the always memorable Charles S. Dutton is Miranda’s husband Dr. Douglas Grey, who also works in the hospital with her. Yet the story is so solid and raw, an actual American take on a really good ghost story, that it’s worth a watch. Plus the video for “Behind Blue Eyes”, a theme song by Limp Bizkit for the film, blew my mind.

So Miranda Grey is working at the hospital with her husband, taking a swim in the pool after a particularly grueling session with patient Chloe (Penelope Cruz). On a storm-laden night she drives home, nearly hits an apparition of a badly beaten and bloody girl clad only in a shift, and after only trying to help the girl, wakes to find herself in the mental hospital charged with the brutal murder of her husband. Noone will help, everyone believes she killed Doug with her own two hands, and Miranda needs to get out to discover the truth! The truth is, she’s NOT ALONE. And the spirit of the dead girl haunting Miranda reveals further truths more shocking than Miranda could’ve ever imagined! I don’t want to give anything else away, but seriously, Gothika is a modern ghost haunting story worth seeing!