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Gothika (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (16 - 18 of 68 Reviews)

Thrilling Mystery
I did not rush to view this movie, but I wish that I had because it was a good thriller. It stars Halle Berry, Charles Dutton, Robert Downy Jr. and Penelope Cruz. It kept me glued to the screen, which was a good thing because a potty or snack break will cause you to have to rewind/replay some footage. Quick flashes of little things will prove crucial toward the end of the movie...so you don't want to miss a single thing.

Berry plays Dr. Grey, who is a shrink that tends to patients at a women's prison facility. Dutton plays her husband and boss (the pairing of them as a married couple was a stretch of my imagination), Downy is a co-worker (you will sense some romantic attraction between them which will prove to be key and may help to confuse you on your attempt to predict part of the outcome) and Cruz is a patient that doesn't seem as crazy as the good doctor thinks, but has a sixth sense.(...) The thrilling ghostly moments and special effects will hold your attention as you try to figure out why Dr. Grey ended up here. Other ingredients that help the story bake are a murder, a sex crime and voices from beyond the grave seeking revenge and trying to save the life of a potential victim.

Berry provides a very electrified performance. Downy holds his own and so does Cruz. You won't be disappointed.

Dark, Stylish Supernatural Thriller
A good L.A. friend who participates in critiquing screenplays sent me the GOTHIKA script and I read it before I saw the movie. There was nothing really special about the script and the only mystery was WHO was responsible for the murders, not WHY. You'd think, given the setting and characters, the script might have delved deeper into mental illness vs. evil.
But it doesn't.
The script (and movie) has a great hook: a smart doctor wakes up in her own mental institution and then has to figure out why.

I didn't think Halle Berry would convincingly play the psychiatrist before I watched it--I mean, I still see her as the sexy femme fatale from the James Bond movie. Just too hot to be an academic. But she won me over and I bought it. I hope she continues to take wildly different roles because I've liked her in everything I've seen (DIE ANOTHER DAY, MONSTER'S BALL).

And I've got to give a big hand to the director and whoever else helped in developing the film: it's better than the script. It never creeped me out as well as THE SIXTH SENSE but it overflows with atmosphere. The rest of the cast is good, especially Robert Downey Jr.

A good spooky movie with no real shocks. I wished it would've explored the concept of evil more (which doesn't mean I wanted more slasher-style gore).

A HALLE HORROR STORY
Halle Berry dominates the screen when she's on it. And not just with her obvious beauty. But her presence is so 'BIG', you can't help but keep your eyes glued to the screen. Halle elevates GOTHIKA with a performance that is both subtly performed and wildly erratic at times. I did wonder if perhaps her character had gone insane. GOTHIKA is a moody, creepy and engrossing ghost story that pulls some weird twists and some real shocks. Berry is given excellent support by Robert Downey as her psychiatrist friend; John Carroll Lynch as the sheriff who was also her husband's best friend; Penelope Cruz as the tormented patient Chloe; and Charles Dutton as her doomed hubby. By the time the movie reaches it's climax, you'll slap yourself on the head and say, of course! But, at the same time, how does Halle get off the hook---the movie never explains and it's "sixth sense" ending is also a little disturbing, hence only the four stars. GOTHIKA is no where as bad as most critics have said; it's a good ghost story and a wonderful performance from Ms. Berry.

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