Halle Berry Sees Dead People!!!

I like Halle Berry. I like the idea of a 'supernatural thriller.' I really wanted to like this movie. In fact, I've intentionally waited an additional day before writing this review to let the movie marinade for a while to see if it would grow on me. It hasn't.

The long story short: It was a dark and stormy night. Dr. Miranda Grey (Halle), a brilliant psychologist, has spent her Friday evening trying to connect with Chloe (Penelope Cruz), a disturbed mental patient, who says that Satan has been raping her in her cell. Frustrated, she discusses the case with her mentor/husband, played by Charles S. Dutton and fellow psychologist, Robert Downey Jr. On her drive home, she literally runs into a wet, scary white girl standing in the middle of the road and the next thing we know she wakes up as a patient in her own asylum accused of murdering her husband. Horror and (unintentional) hilarity ensue.

Although, I couldn't buy Charles S. Dutton as Halle Berry's husband (and judging by the "Eew's" and "Ugh's" of the audience, neither could they), I didn't have a problem with either the acting or the casting. I mean, who expects Oscar-caliber acting from your typical horror movie? Both Halle and Robert Downey Jr. gave decent performances. Penelope Cruz, whom I normally do not like, was good as the insane patient that Halle Berry initially works with but ends up befriending after she becomes a patient.

What didn't work for me was the plotting. There are several big "WTF?" moments at the end and I left the theater with more questions than answers. Here it is a full day later and I still don't know exactly what was supposed to have happened.

Oh and the damn flickering lights. At one point, it was cool and stylish and funky to have the asylum lights flickering on and off. But, after a while, I wasn't sure if the movie was taking place in an asylum or a disco, I kept waiting for a silver ball to descend and a cameo from Denny Terrio.

If you must, wait for video.