20 Things You Somehow Missed In Shutter Island
Unpacking all the hidden details in Scorsese's chilling thriller.
Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island might be one of the most criminally underappreciated films of the last 15 years - an expertly crafted mystery-thriller where even the most fleeting moment is executed with real intention by the master filmmaker.
Even though many have superficially dismissed Scorsese's movie as predictable, that of course ignores the darker implications of its tragically bleak ending, and also the treasure trove of incredible details hidden throughout the story.
It is a textbook example of a movie that benefits from many repeat viewings, because once you know the particulars of the narrative, you can focus on all the sneaky hints and Easter eggs scattered along the way.
Scorsese has clearly thought long and hard about every aspect of his production, sprinkling sly visual hints to the truth of Teddy Daniels' (Leonardo DiCaprio) trip to Shutter Island in almost every single scene.
As a result, this is truly one of those movies that uncovers something new on every subsequent viewing, and having pored extensively over it, these are the 20 details and facts you've probably not yet noticed. But if you caught any of them yourself, well done...
20. Chuck's Inexperience With Weapons
There's a tell incredibly early on that Teddy Daniels' new "partner" Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) isn't the U.S. Marshal that he is presented to us as.
When the pair first arrive at Ashecliffe Hospital on Shutter Island, Deputy Warden McPherson (John Carroll Lynch) asks them to surrender their weapons, at which point Aule awkwardly fumbles with his gun holster, before handing over both his gun and the holster to an exasperated McPherson.
It's tough to picture a veteran cop ever handling a gun so clumsily, so it's a major upfront clue that Chuck isn't who he says he is. And of course, it's revealed later in the story that he's actually Teddy's doctor, Dr. Lester Sheehan.