Asylum

May. 09,1997      
Rating:
4.9
Trailer Synopsis Cast

Robert Patrick stars as a private investigator traumatized by his father's suicide who goes undercover in a mental institution to uncover the murderer of his psychiatrist.

Robert Patrick as  Nicholas Tordone
Malcolm McDowell as  Sullivan Rane / Doc
Sarah Douglas as  Dr. Emily Hill
Debra Wilson as  Belinda Davis
Henry Gibson as  Dr. Edward Bellichek
Peter Brown as  Dr. Frank Meyers
Irwin Keyes as  Screaming Patient
Jason Schombing as  Tommy Baylor
Kathryn Kates as  Nurse Taylor
Tom Billett as  Michael Dearborn

Reviews

VeteranLight
1997/05/09

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

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Arianna Moses
1997/05/10

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

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Portia Hilton
1997/05/11

Blistering performances.

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Kamila Bell
1997/05/12

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

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Ape2512
1997/05/13

Not the first thriller to take place in a mental institution, but one of the better. Leading man Patrick does a nice job as an unstable P.I. who goes undercover to find the killer of his shrink. Nice mix of suspense and humor - might have been better without all the laughs.Malcolm McDowell is fun to watch as a murderous patient named Rane. Is he the killer or does he hold the secret to the mystery?? Good acting outshines the slick camerawork. Nice surprise thriller.

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metalvet
1997/05/14

If you're the kind that likes watching bad movies (for instance, if you enjoyed "The Postman" in only the most ironic sense), this is a keeper. A ridiculous script is only the start, and you also get Robert Patrick staying in the laxest insane asylum in the world (undercover in the guise of a patient, he seemingly has no problems at all finding access to the staff's private fax machines, computers, satellite dishes, etc.), develops a drippy camraderie with a fellow inmate that leads to some of the more strained, "heartfelt" moments of the film, and a ridiculous character by Acting's own Prince of Ever-Diminishing Returns, Malcolm McDowell. Reviewing this film makes me feel like I'm admonishing the dog for peeing on the rug. "For shame! Bad, bad, bad..."

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ChrisHawk78
1997/05/15

There is a very interesting plot and one or two reasonably good actors but the script is average and most of the performances are not very convincing. The Idea of something fishy going on in a mental home has been there since the invention of mental homes and should by now have reached a higher level. The shockers in this movie are plump and the pace is really slow. And who has not guessed from the very first that the guy in the surgical clothes was Rane? And who was silly enough to believe that Rane was the bad guy? Who would have considered the director of the mental home (the poor rotter in the wheelchair) to be good and sane? It is altogether rather obvious. I really do not know what kept me watching this movie. Perhaps it was just the hay-fever that prevented me from sleep.

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condor-7
1997/05/16

Cool movie. Robert Patrick is awesome as a suicidal detective who must find his shrink's murderer by going undercover in a psych hospital. Performances were above average for this kind of B-thriller and there were some genuinely creepy moments -- although it could have used a few more. Much more of a drama than a horror film, but a lot better than the usual straight-to-video fare. *** out of ****

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