20 Things You Somehow Missed In Shutter Island

18. "Shutter Island" Is An Anagram Of "Truth And Lies"

Shutter Island
Paramount Pictures

Because, again, nothing in this movie happens by accident, even its title is a tricky sleight of hand.

The name "Shutter Island" is actually an anagram of both the phrases "truth and lies" and "truth/denials," which is fitting given the story's focus on the elusiveness of truth and denial/self-deception.

It gets even better when you consider that anagrams are a wider part of the movie themselves, given that Andrew Laeddis is an anagram of Edward Daniels, and Rachel Solando is an anagram of Teddy's dead wife Dolores Chanal (Michelle Williams).

From the ground-up, Shutter Island is a riddle of a movie that seems like it's never finished unfurling.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.