Insane

Original Title: Stonehearst Asylum / Eliza Graves Production: USA, 2014 Genre: Thriller Director: Brad Anderson Screenplay: Joe Gangemi Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Ben Kingsley Medical Theme: The Origins of Psychiatry On Christmas Eve 1899, a young doctor from Oxford—Edward Newgate—arrives for an internship at an asylum. The asylum’s director—Dr. Silas Lamb—welcomes him warmly and eagerly takes him under his wing. During his stay, Edward is shocked to witness the methods Lamb uses to treat his patients. The late 19th century marked the very beginnings of psychiatry; medicine at the time knew little about treating mental disorders. It was then that the first attempts at lobotomy took place. However, such methods were not practiced at the asylum featured in the film. Dr. Lamb did not believe that imprisonment and the use of violence against his patients would yield positive results. Instead, he tries to keep them in a state of madness—he believes this makes them happier. Soon, however, Edward discovers the Asylum’s dark secret. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end, which also turns out to be very surprising.