I remember when Shutter Island hit the cinemas, and then hit home video, everyone was raving about it. When I finally had a chance to watch it, I had the mystery figured out pretty quickly, though I will say it was wonderfully executed.

Scorsese delivers a gorgeous looking film, and makes great use of visual effects, except for one pretty glaring greenscreen sequence involving the characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Ted Levine in a jeep. It’s beautiful, cinematic, and delivers everything you would expect from a Scorsese film.

It’s a thriller, tightly paced, and there are a number of sequences that show how amazing a Scorsese horror film would be.

Marshall Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are investigating an asylum on a remote island when one of it’s patients has gone missing, and possibly escaped. As the pair investigate, it becomes obvious that Teddy is also there looking for something else, and it’s determined to blow the lid off of what is going on in this asylum.

He struggles to get information from the asylum’s head, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and clashes with Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow). Through it all, he is plagued by his memories of serving in World War II, the concentration camp at Dachau, and the death of his wife (Michelle Williams) and children.

He, himself, is haunted and broken, and he’s determined to get justice for his family. He believes his family’s killer is locked in the asylum as well. He begins to see visions, inmates warn him to run, to be careful, and things are going to go horribly if he keeps investigating.

It’s smart, spooky, and the mystery is solidly executed, even when you already know what is going on.

I love the way Scorsese doles out his tale. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane the story rockets along, delivers twists and turns, and engages on all levels. DiCaprio turns in a strong performance, and I loved seeing him paired with Ruffalo, who is as always, wonderful.

In fact, alongside DiCaprio, Levine, Ruffalo, Kingsley, Williams and von Sydow, the cast is rounded out with Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Elias Koteas and Jackie Earle Haley. It’s a strong and beautiful film with some truly outstanding moments as Teddy’s investigation takes its toll, and leads him to an inescapable truth about the asylum.

Tightly paced, strongly acted, this one is definitely worth the watch, whether you have the mystery figure out yet or not.

Great cast, great story, and masterfully told by a cinematic legend, Shutter Island works.