Shutter Island

This puts cheap jump scares that you see nowadays to shame.

Alfred Hitchcock. One of the most influential filmmakers in the history of Cinema. The Master of Suspense. If that famous name sounds familiar to you, then consider this one as a stroll down the memory lane. Paying particularly homage to Hitchcock's works and based off the book of the same name, "Shuttle Island" masterfully combines noir, horror and psychological thrill to keep the audience's undivided attention for 138 minutes straights. It takes every advantage of heightening the suspense by underscoring the nature of the setting (a psychiatric ward housing the most dangerous patients on a stormy island) and the situation at stake (two lone detectives inspecting every corner of an extremely unfamiliar place to crack down a sinister case at hand). While following the trails of the affair, you are regularly placed under tense atmosphere that will likely cause sweaty palms. As far as the story goes, there are several subplots introduced from the get-go that stimulates your curiosity for the secret behind the island. "Shutter Island" is, after all, a film about a detective. As a result, there are indeed many hints that will most likely be missed at first, unless your shrewdness out-competes Michael Scorsese's cinematography.

You also can't go wrong with Leonardo DiCaprio. If you have watched "The Wolf of Wall Street" before, DiCaprio's character, Edward Daniels the U.S. Marshal, may remind you of Jordan Belfort. While Daniels may not be an extravagant cocaine addict, he does exhibit the same impulsiveness and "mania" as a stock mogul. Anyhow, "Shuttle Island" is an underrated masterpiece for its elaborate but inconspicuous foreshadowers and compelling representation of mental asylums, unfamiliar to the outsiders and confining to the patients. And to top it off with a punch, the ending is one that is quite unanticipated and profound. A second viewing is almost mandatory to truly appreciate this film, because only then will the symbolisms, the acting and the cinematography be better comprehended and realized as calculated decisions by a top-tier director like Michael Scorsese here. The only downfall is that it can feel emotionally uninvolving, perhaps due to its persistent emphasis on mainly fear and suspense. Nevertheless, fear and suspense are qualities that "Shuttle Island" has brought back to fashion by taking a page from none other than Alfred Hitchcock. A simple theme with a simple treatment and simple flair. Yet it does not cut corners to twist your mind to the fullest extent, like no other horror and thriller films out there.

Verdict: Must-Watch 9

Release Date: February 19, 2010

Box Office: $294.8 million

Rewatchable: Yes

A viewer's discretion is almost an insult to Michael Scorsese. Make sure to watch it on Netflix!