Who’d have thought that those two crazy kids standing on the front of the Titanic would go on to rule Hollywood? Ok, pretty much everyone, but it is surprising that both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio have forgone the usual summer blockbuster fare for deeper, drama-driven pieces, and to a certain extent been just as successful. DiCaprio himself has enjoying a lot of success with Martin Scorsese, and now we have their 4th collaboration, ‘Shutter Island.’

US Marshall Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) makes his way to Shutter Island, the site of a mental asylum run by Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), a man who believes in psychiatric treatment rather than the archaic, invasive procedures of old. Along with his partner (Mark Ruffalo), they investigate the disappearance of a patient who has mysteriously escaped the island. As the investigation goes further, Daniels uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the fabric of society, and begins to wonder if he will ever make it off the island.

It’s one of those stories that starts off so very simple, yet grows and grows while you are watching, helped by the fact that we have one of the masters of modern cinema behind the camera. The horrifying look, the ominous score and cinematography are all designed to turn the creepiness dial up to 11, and whilst it’s not an all-out horror you will be chewing your nails more than once. Yet, in the midst of this haunted house (or rather, haunted island) story there are moments of absolute beauty, such as Daniels’ first flashback to his military days. It’s quite slowly paced, but for that patience we see a man slowly begin to doubt everything he sees around him, and eventually everything he believes about himself.

DiCaprio is not the teen idol of old, he’s developed into the class actor movie fans hoped he would be. He provides a superb lead, capturing the short-fused nature of Daniels, a man convinced that something is rotten in the asylum. Ben Kingsley is reliable but a bit phoned in as the good doctor, and other standouts include a spirited performance from Michelle Williams as Daniels’ wife, and a creepy cameo from the future Freddy Kruger, Jackie Earle Haley, as scarred inmate 

It’s a touch grizzly in parts, and the positively shocking climax may be too much for some, but the DiCaprio/ Scorsese connection proves again why these are two of the most consistent artists in the industry. If you’ve got the stomach for it, this is a riveting and impressive thriller.