Stilted ‘Stonehearst Asylum’ stuck in neutral

  • By Robert Horton Herald Movie Critic
  • Wednesday, October 22, 2014 7:11pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

There may be no ideal time to wander into the halls of a remote Victorian-era home for the mentally impaired, but the waning days of December 1899 appear especially unfortunate.

Nevertheless, a young doctor named Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess, from “Cloud Atlas”) arrives at Stonehearst Asylum just in time for Christmas dinner — because of austerity measures, the menu this evening includes roast squirrel. Almost the entirety of “Stonehearst Asylum” unfolds inside the place, so we have plenty of time to consider the dismal setting and the wretched circumstances of the inhabitants.

Still, Newgate is taken under the wing of the hospital’s director, Dr. Lamb (Ben Kingsley), an intense sort who seems open to new ways of treating his patients. Another bright spot is a patient, Mrs. Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale), imprisoned here for reasons that would hardly be considered insane in another era: She’s been abused by her husband and rendered sensitive to touch.

If this movie doesn’t have too many actual surprises in store, it at least benefits from a certain novelty factor — who makes period horror features based on Edgar Allan Poe stories anymore? That alone buys “Stonehearst” some goodwill, even if its initial intrigue gives way to pedestrian storytelling of the “Why didn’t he just do this?” variety.

Director Brad Anderson, whose curious career has often veered into the twilight zone (“The Machinist,” “Transsiberian”), goes all in with the shadowy corners and steampunk devices. It follows that there is a dungeon below the asylum, and yes, it does hold secrets.

Other than the old reliable topic of whether the patients are saner than the doctors, “Stonehearst Asylum” is content to rely on its atmosphere, actors, and a couple of gimmicks to get by.

The deadly earnestness of Sturgess and Beckinsale means we have to look around for more extravagant turns, including David Thewlis as a creepy handyman, Sophie Kennedy Clark (from “Nymphomaniac”) as a lovestruck nurse, and Michael Caine and Sinead Cusack as voices of reason.

And Kingsley, of course, whose temperature is always on boil — you really can imagine his character scuttling around a Poe story. Even for genre fans, though, the action here will feel hackneyed. Nothing wrong with being old-fashioned, but few movies can recover from stodginess.

“Stonehearst Asylum” (2 stars)

A visitor (Jim Sturgess) to a Victorian asylum is entranced by a patient (Kate Beckinsale) and intrigued by the chief doctor (Ben Kingsley). This adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story is old-fashioned to the point of stodginess, despite the shadowy atmosphere.

Rating: PG-13, for violence, subject matter

Showing: AMC Southcenter 16

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.