“Shutter Island” is a 2010 psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley. The film is based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.

The story takes place in 1954 and follows two U.S. Marshals, Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo), who are sent to Shutter Island, a remote island off the coast of Massachusetts, to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a mental hospital. As they delve deeper into the case, they begin to uncover a web of dark secrets and conspiracies, and Teddy begins to experience hallucinations and flashbacks from his past.

The film received generally positive reviews for its strong performances, atmospheric cinematography, and suspenseful plot. It was a commercial success, grossing over $294 million worldwide.

I originally saw this film when it came out but couldn’t remember it well enough to give it a rating or write a review, so a rewatch was in order. I viewed the film through the lens of already knowing the plot twist, which made it a whole different experience. The ending will be remembered throughout film history as one that showed just how viciously a well written script can flip an audience over. This really is a film you should see twice.

Shutter Island is the story of Teddy Daniels, A U.S. federal marshal sent to the island with his partner Chuck Aule to search for the disappearance of a patient. Each scene provides a turn against their leads and compels them to look for more whilst searching in places we couldn’t comprehend, including their minds. Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo feed off each other and supply great performances for their characters as expected, but some of the other characters whose names are riveted on the posters or marquees are sensational as well. The two that stuck out to me most were Ben Kingsley (Dr. Cawley) and Michelle Williams (Dolores, Teddy’s wife), each of whom brought so much dramatics and new questions to the movie, developing plot twists and controversy. I don’t think this film would be the same without them.

This is also a film I would recommend seeing a second time. In fact, it is even better the second time. All those pieces of that puzzle you didn’t catch the first time, you will the second. You see, we as the audience are first put in the shoes of Teddy. The second? Well, without giving too much away, lets just say you are put in someones else’s shoes entirely during the second viewing.

Shutter Island. A film that will make you question your own sanity. A film that will leave you breathless. A film that has re-ignited the thriller genre. A film that will leave you, and the main character, searching for answers.

There are a number of films I’ve seen more than once, and if they’re good (the only reason really, to watch them again), they become a richer experience and one gains a greater appreciation of them. “Shutter Island” might be the only picture that on subsequent viewings, becomes a DIFFERENT film from the one originally seen. I say this because the first time around, there’s no way to take the character of Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) other than at face value. He’s a detective investigating a missing person case on an island. Not your normal island, but one that’s home to an institution for the criminally insane. Every interaction he has with a character in the picture is one between himself, Detective Daniels, and that character. As we come to learn, all that changes when Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) reveals the twist near the end of the story, at which point, one is left either totally disillusioned or utterly blown away.

What’s unique and brilliant about the writing here is evident upon a second viewing. What we now know to be true about Teddy Daniels becomes even more evident. We’re able to understand that in Teddy’s first meeting with Naehring (Max von Sydow), Naehring is actually speaking to Laeddis. Yet those references to Laeddis/Daniels’ ‘defense mechanisms’ could have been offered and taken either way. George Noyce (Jackie Earle Haley) was speaking to Laeddis as he had no reason not to. The vision of Rachel Solando in the cave was warning Teddy that he had no friends, and that there was no way off the island. This was a way for the viewer to understand that in some small way, Teddy/Laeddis was conversing with himself, sometimes with clarity and other times delusionally. The Warden (Ted Levine) is clearly speaking directly to Laeddis when he picks up Teddy after his night in the cave. This is all so masterfully done that even watching the picture multiple times, it’s amazing to pick up on the nuance that went into developing the story.

Now I have to admit, the first time I saw the picture and it became apparent that Teddy Daniels was Laeddis, I wanted to blow it off as one of those cheap constructs that film makers are prone to indulge in just to play with the viewer’s head. But somehow, this was different. This was a study, a grand two day experiment if you will, designed to force Laeddis to come to terms with himself and what he had done to become confined to an institution. The way the whole story evolves is fascinating to watch, almost like watching the making of the movie instead of the movie itself. I’ve seen “Shutter Island” three times now in the space of about a month, and I know with certainty that I’ll be watching it again. There’s not many films I can say that about, but this one just begs it, almost like a patient requiring your uninterrupted attention.

Martin Scorsese has done it again. He pays attention to every detail in this film, making “Shutter Island” one of the best suspense thrillers of all time.

Visually intriguing, simplistic and absolutely phenomenal. The story is kept simplistic enough so it doesn’t get absurd, but allows for an ending which you probably won’t see coming. The film doesn’t go for cheap thrills, so although you will be on the edge of your seat you won’t get needlessly scared.

The film uses everything at its disposal from breathtaking scenery, to detailed laid-out shots, and to actors at their finest to completely engross you in the film. I loved every minute of it and highly recommend it to everyone. Even if you’re not a usual fan of the genre, this film has so much more to it.