Asylum

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Asylum

R

Released Aug 12, 2005

1h 36m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

36%

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89 Reviews

41%

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10,000+ Ratings

An administrator's bored wife (Natasha Richardson) begins a torrid affair with an institutionalized artist (Marton Csokas) who beat his wife to death.

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Critics Consensus

This catastrophic adaptation of Patrick McGrath's novel gets sillier and more implausible as it goes along.

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Tom Long

Detroit News

Patrick McGrath's screenplay, based on his novel, has moments big and small, delivered in appropriate dollops of awfulness.

Rated: B-

Sep 16, 2005

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Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

It's a movie you fall for or you don't, and like Stella, I am not ashamed I did.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 16, 2005

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Once characters' actions lose credibility, it's hard to empathize with them, no matter how well the roles are played.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 15, 2005

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Kaleem Aftab

The List

What could have been an interesting horror character study... is destroyed by tortuously labored dialogue and a sluggish pace.

Rated: 1/5

Apr 26, 2019

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Prairie Miller

Long Island Press

A little like Jack the Ripper in outer space.

Mar 26, 2007

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Rex Roberts

Film Journal International

Despite a superb cast, artful set design and seductive cinematography, Asylum remains a lovingly lensed missed opportunity.

Feb 22, 2007

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ashley h

Asylum is an okay film. It is about a woman who becomes very curious about one of her psychiatrist husband's inmates. Natasha Richardson and Sean Harris give decent performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. David Mackenzie did an alright job directing. I liked the motion picture because of the drama and romance.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

I liked it ok I guess. I watch a ton of movies and this is the second movie I have ever watched that I truly hated a character. My God that woman was pathetic.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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william s

I like Richardson's tragic performance but otherwise this film is just out there as far as the script.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Mostly watched for Sir Ian who probably saved this movie. If you like unnecessary eroticism, confusing rape scenes. completely unsympathetic characters and stiff acting then you'll love this movie. Many points are left unclear or completely unexplained expecting the viewer to completely suspend their belief and just go along with it. For a drama that takes itself so seriously that's a ridiculous request. The character I was most interested in had a grand whopping total of about three minutes of screen time and then disappeared forever. You can safely pass this movie up.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

85% "Leave me alone."-Stella Raphael (Natasha Richardson) Is the world not an asylum?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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David Mackenzie

Director

Natasha Richardson

Stella

Ian McKellen

Peter Cleave

Marton Csokas

Csokas

Hugh Bonneville

Max Raphael

Judy Parfitt

Brenda Raphael

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Synopsis

An administrator's bored wife (Natasha Richardson) begins a torrid affair with an institutionalized artist (Marton Csokas) who beat his wife to death.

Director: David Mackenzie
Producer: David E. Allen, Laurie Borg
Screenwriter: Patrick Marber, Patrick McGrath
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Zephyr Films
Rating: R (Strong Sexuality|Some Violence|Brief Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $374.9K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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