Stonehearst Asylum is a suspenseful drama that debuted on October 24, 2014. When the show opens, it is the early 1800’s and an Oxford University professor is demonstrating to a class of students. Dr. Edward Newgate (Jim Burgess) arrives at Stonehearst to observe care given to the two hundred residents. He is mystified by the old asylum and immediately begins to explore his surroundings. He is met by the intelligent Dr. Silas Lamb (Ben Kingsley), who gives him a tour and tells him that they do not over sedate the patients at Sonehearst, instead they treat them with music, while letting them be their natural selves. Dr. Newgate becomes intrigued with Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale), who is a proficient piano player. Instead of the doctors segregating themselves from the patients, they dine with them and attempt to hold intelligent conversations with them, during meals. Eliza becomes upset during dinner, when Newgate is being offended by Bill, who later offers him a drink and an apology. She intervenes, when he begins to sip the drink by kicking him in the leg, which causes him to spill it on his attire. She then escorts him to a private area, where she warns him that he must leave immediately because he does not belong there. Newgate is wandering around the asylum and discovers a hidden dungeon that holds locked cells with lots of prisoners, who happens to be the asylum’s original staff members. Dr. Salt (Michael Caine) requests that they be released, but Newgate says that he will have to speak to Dr. Lamb and ask for his permission first. Salt explains their situation, which started when they were drugged with chlorohydrate. Newgate goes to confront Lamb about his discovery, but changes his mind. Lamb secretly warns Eliza that there secret must remain a secret, but she tells him that spring is soon coming and people will find out what he is doing. Newgate returns to the dungeon bringing the prisoners a few essentials, but they tell him that they are in desperate need of guns. The chief stewart, Mickey Finn (David Thewlis), and Lamb introduce Newgate to Mr. Ogre, who nearly strangles him to death, until he finds out that he is only there to help him. Edward injures his shoulder, during the attack and must seek medical attention from the nursing staff. Eliza intervenes and treats his wounds, while explaining how terrible life was as the asylum, before they locked Dr. Salt and the others up in the prison. She said that they were subjected to unthinkable and barbaric therapies. Newgate overhears Lamb speaking with Finn, about him being a threat to their plans, but Lamb assures him that Newgate will do nothing, without the help of Eliza and that would never happen. Someone escapes from the prison, but Finn finds him, before he could get away and kills him. Silas continues to use bizarre treatments to try to cure the mental patients at Stonehearst. It has not been proven if they are really effective or not. He struggles with his own demons, but no one can figure out what the demons are contributed to. Newgate impresses everyone with his use of psychotherapy in treating a blind woman (Gabrielle Downey) and encourages her to let her imaginary son go and take her nourishments. Lamb summons Newgate and makes him assist in giving one of the patients electrotherapy, which is very brutal, but effective in erasing the man’s delusional mind. Will Newgate save the prisoners from their terrible fate or will they all be killed by Dr. Lamb? Will Eliza join Newgate in his quest, then leave Stonehearst for good? Review Stonehearst is definitely a dark and twisted movie that will hold your attention throughout. Makes one wonder what truly happened in the old pauper asylums back in the day. A lot of history shows how mistreated the mentally ill was and how they endured long hours of torturous therapies, extreme treatments, and neurosurgical procedures, which proved to have been mostly ineffective for curing mental illness. This film is very heart touching to some extent and I throughly enjoyed watching it. One thing that can be said about Stonehearst is it is truly original. The acting is fabulous and everyone was believable in their roles. I feel it deserves a 7.5 out of 10. ReelMockeryJay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best […]
