Psychological thrillers are a lot like telling a joke. While the content and the set up are all very important, what makes it or breaks it is the delivery of the punchline. We’ve all heard even the best jokes screwed up by a poorly delivered punchline. The same rings true for thrillers. There is always some big reveal towards the end of the movie that most viewers either did or did not see coming. How it is revealed and what is revealed is crucial. I can’t even count how many promising thrillers were ruined by poor execution in this department. Which brings us to Shutter Island.

Shutter Island is the story of two federal marshalls who are sent to an asylum for the criminally insane to investigate the dissappearance of one of the patients. From the movie’s opening it is clear that not everything is as it seems. As the marshalls dig deeper and deeper into the disappearance they discover some shocking information about the island and themselves. That is about as detailed as it gets without getting into spoiler territory. Believe me when I say that this is a movie you will want to see and figure out for yourself.

I know many viewers will guess what the big twist might be at first, however it will be damn near impossible to figure out everything that the movie has hidden until the very powerful ending. As an avid moviegoer who usually figures out these types of things early on in the film, by the time the movie ended I was still genuinely surprised at its resolution. Director Martin Scorcese has had enough experience making quality movies that he definitely knows how to set up and deliver a punch line and this film is living proof of that.

Of course, Scorcese could not have pulled it off without his incredible cast. Leonardo DiCaprio is incredible as U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels. Within the past five years or so, Dicaprio has become one of my favorite actors not only due to his incredible talent, but also his uncanny ability for picking solid scripts. His portrayal in this film is probably his best work yet, which says a lot when you consider some of his past performances. Mark Ruffalo also gives a great portrayal as Dicaprio’s partner Chuck Aule. Ruffalo is an excellent straight man to Dicaprio’s brooding, intense, paranoid character.

Another major standout is Ben Kingsley, who portrays Dr. Cawley, the doctor in charge of running the asylum. While it is no shocker that Kingsley is an excellent actor, it is nice to see him in a quality film that is deserving of his talents. Jackie Earl Haley, perhaps best known for his role as Rorschach in Watchmen or his upcoming role as the new Freddy Kreuger, also has a brief but amazingly intense scene with Dicaprio. With Scorcese’s direction and the brilliant performances by the cast, this film was easliy one of the most immersive movies I’ve seen in a long time. I felt genuinely disturbed by what was unfolding on the screen.

Shutter Island is an excellent movie. Too many films resort to cheap narration or overexposure to reveal the final plot points.With Shutter Island, each scene is well crafted and the way the plot is unveiled makes you feel like you are discovering what is going on a long with the characters, which just enhances the overall experience. I would highly recommend this movie to everyone. There is a good chance that this will wind up scooping up quite a few oscars at the year’s end and that is no joke.