A psychologist, Dr. Grey (Halle Berry), finds a bloody, ghostly girl on the road, and after touching her, wakes up as a patient in her own mental hospital. She is also the suspect in the murder of her husband. The girl in the road was killed several years earlier and her ghost possessed Dr. Grey and it still has plans.
Quick Review: “Hey Bob, I’ve got this great scary story; let’s make it into a horror film.” That’s how the conversation is suppose to begin. But with Gothika, it was more like “Hey, let’s make a horror film; I brought my horror filmmaking hat.”
There is a lot of skill here. The acting is believable if not multidimensional, the music is eerie and dramatic, and the cinematography is atmospheric. It is good looking and good sounding and completely incoherent. Why doesn’t the ghost, who is capable of writing messages and responding to English requests, write a clear note instead of leaving ambiguous clues? Why doesn’t it possess someone else? Why does it try to kill Doctor Grey if all it wants is her help? Nothing is done for character or plot reasons, but because those things look scary or macabre. Why does the ghost carve a message into Dr. Grey’s arm (about the least effective method of communication I can think of)? Because it would look terrifying. Why is the ghost standing behind Dr. Grey when she bends over? Because it will startle the audience. There is no story here, just a ride with occasional jolts. On that very primitive level it is fun, though not worth seeking out.