by Emily McDowell

Created on: March 19, 2010

The movie 'Gothika' stars Halle Berry as Dr. Miranda Grey, a psychiatrist working in a women's mental ward. The movie opens up by drawing the viewer into a scene where Miranda and Chloe Sava (Penelope Cruz), a patient, are in the middle of a session. Chloe describes a burning sensation that she feels deep inside of her soul. She lashes out at Miranda in what appears to be a mental fit, but we learn later that this is a feeling of frustration since everyone claims to want to help her, yet refuses to believe her bizarre stories.

Miranda leaves the room to return to her office and complete her work when the storm outside causes a disruption in the power. With the power acting up and the generator not working properly, Miranda decides to leave for home. On her way home she is forced to take a detour across a wooden bridge. At the other side she swerves to miss a figure standing in the street. She leaves her car in the ditch and runs to check on the girl she almost hit. As any kind person would, she offers her jacket to the shivering girl, assuring her that everything will be all right. Suddenly, the girl bursts into flames, placing her hands on both sides of Miranda's head.

The scene then fades to Miranda waking up inside a cell at the asylum where she works. At first we do not know why she is on the other side of the observation glass, but later it is revealed that she has killed her husband, Dr. Douglas Grey. Now under the care of Dr. Pete Graham, Miranda is trying to figure out what is happening as she is tormented by the ghost of the girl she almost hit. We are sucked into the frustration that Miranda faces as her ex-coworkers treat her as though she is insane.

A large amount of twisted events transpire to fill in the details of the murder of Dr. Douglas Grey through flashbacks perceived through the eyes of Miranda as she watches herself murder her own husband. Why is this ghost consistently haunting her? She has a talk with the owner of the institution, Phil Parsons, father of Rachel, where she sees a picture of the ghost who is haunting her. Phil explains how his daughter committed suicide as Miranda claims again and again that this is the girl who is haunting her.

With a better understanding of who this girl is, Miranda escapes from the institution with the help of a close friend to see if she can gather clues as to why she killed her husband. She returns to a vacation spot that is owned by the Grey's to see if she can trigger any memories. Inside the barn, she spots an open box for a digital video camera that doesn't seem like it belongs there. She enters the little room to discover a secret hatchway that leads underneath the barn.

I believe that this is one of the best thrillers out there. The ghost in the movie leading Miranda to uncover clues makes the film comparable to 'The Ring', but unlike 'The Ring' the viewer is not left with a multitude of unanswered questions at the end. 'Gothika' brings the viewers to the edge of their seats with its well-developed characters, intricate plot, and suspenseful storyline. 

Learn more about this author, Emily McDowell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.