Shutter Island has a lot going for it; dense visuals, an unmistakable sense of atmosphere, and a great Leonardo DiCaprio performances. But let's be honest with ourselves: Scorsese has done a lot better, and a lot of his better movies have failed to earn a spot in the top 250, whilst Shutter Island stands tall at 209. The biggest problem with Shutter Island, then, is that its is far too hokey, and - as a result - is a bit of chore to sit through more than once. Presumably Shutter Island has been voted upon by those who have only seen it once, by movie-goers who have failed to see how razor-thin - and purposely pulpy - the plot on show here really is. What's nice about the flick, of course, is the way in which Scorsese plays homage to films of the past, and very nearly enters the realms of self-parody - signalled to us via the bombastic musical score - as he builds tension. A good movie, but not a great one.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
