This movie made me think whether I'm sane or not.

Imagine andrew's reaction when he finds out that he is 70% water.

He did finally snap out of his made up world. But lied at the end because he didnt want to live with reality.

After movie ended I questioned my existence.

And yet it still took Leo getting mauled by a bear to get his Oscar.

So I just watched this movie and this movie was a total twist . This movie is now one of my favorites and Leo should have won an Oscar for his performance .

Mad that when they were interrogating the staff, they all laughed when the guy said rachel hated the food, because she was a nurse and probably made that complaint to her friends, an inside joke they all laughed about. AND also when they were “searching” for rachel, none of the guards seemed interested or particularly worried, because they knew that it was all just roleplay. Absolutely amazing film. The doctor even stalled on letting him interview the staff because it would be troublesome to prep all of them for the roleplay. Details are crazy good

And leo only has one Oscar, that's the real hidden crime- no wonder he went crazy

This is such a brilliant movie, the whole time I watched it one thing kept going on in my mind: I need to watch more movies like this.

Chuck calls out to teddy at the end and he doesn’t respond to him. I took that as he knows he’s Andrew still and he’s accepting the lobotomy.

I feel like Andrew clearly also had some favoritism towards his daughter

I like the theory that fire represents his fantasy and water represents reality. During the movie Andrew was never scared of fire, he WELCOMED it. When he was in ward c he lit a match almost every 10 seconds it felt like; he blew up a car; and most notably when he got to the cave (soaking wet, mind you) he immediately lunged towards the fire and stayed no less than a foot away from it the entire time. This helps represent that he clings to his fantasy because he can't bare his reality

“Mrs. Kearns writes "run" on the paper she slips to Teddy because she knows he has an opportunity to escape while they're doing the whole role play experiment. It's also why she sounds "coached" about what to tell Teddy - she has been. As for the conspiracy about why Mrs. Kearns' hand is empty when she goes to drink the water Chuck brings...she's crazy, let's not forget that. I doubt it was an error in editing. Shush lady 🤫 The creepy lady in the yard at the beginning of the film does the "shush" motion at Teddy because she knows him, knows that she's playing a game and has been instructed not to spoil it. She's a crazy lady enjoying a game, that's all. Pay attention to the staff interview scene. When Teddy and Chuck interview the nurses and orderlies it's easy to see just how ridiculous the staff finds the interview. One nurse says something about how 'far from normal' their jobs are - she's making an ironic joke because she's talking to a lunatic dressed as a cop. In that scene, the staff are also not too enthused about the role play, and Dr. Sheehan / Chuck pushes them to answer Teddy's questions. You'll see what I mean. When Teddy reveals to Dr. Naehring that he's figured out the patient 67 riddle during a staff meeting, Naehring says "What are they doing here?" He's genuinely annoyed that Dr. Cawley is letting Teddy/Andrew roam so freely. In Ward C Teddy is accosted by a loose prisoner and nearly strangles that prisoner to death. "Chuck" and a guard show up and drag the strangled man away. The guard tells Teddy that he can't come along to the infirmary, while mumbling about how much trouble he's going to be in - for letting a patient strangle another patient. Watch the guards throughout the film. They get extremely edgy whenever "Teddy" is around, and clutch their guns a little tighter. This is especially true at the beginning when "The Marshals" come to the island. It's because the guards know Teddy is a lunatic and they're not exactly thrilled about the role play experiment. It's also why they are less than enthused about looking for a Rachel Solando who doesn't exist down by the ocean rocks.”

Andrew: I can’t stand the sight of water. Also Andrew: Lemme splash my face with some water right quick.

Andrew didn't kill his wife out of guilt and anger... The flashback clearly shows her asking him to "set her free" as she realizes what she has done for a brief instant. Andrew also confirms it when asked by the doctor why he killed is wife : "because she murdered our children and told me to let her go". I would argue that murdering Dolores is actually a proof of absolute sacrifice on Andrew's end, as he trully loves her but still accept to let her go to face the horror alone. This way, he frees her from the "insect in her brain, clicking accross her skull, pulling the wires just for fun". He only holds himself accountable for the murders of his children ("i killed them because i didn't get her help"), not her. I apologize if there are any mistakes in my comment, i'm a non-native english speaker.

I still wanted teddy to escape from the island, even tho he didn’t exist....

I would have never picked up in the one scene the glass of water he is holding disappears because of his fear of water . Ingenious touch

This movie is litreally the best suspense / thriller /mystery movie I have ever seen. It's a fucking masterpiece.

The part where Leo realizes his gun is fake made me bawl my eyes out. The despair and futility he must feel seeing this representation of his personhood, who he is and his absolution falling apart in his hands just crushes me.

Small detail: At the beginning when the guys were asked to hand over there guns, Leo was capable of unbuckling his gun holster and Mark Ruffalo character was struggling with it. Showing Leo’s character gun experienced And were role-playing from the start.

So this dude suffers from PTSD, psychosis, DID and multiple phobias at the same time... Jeez...

I will be honest...I was a die hard believer in the fact that Leo was sane and he was drugged and convinced he was crazy. I based all of this on when he was interviewing the lady patient and after she sent his partner for water she wrote "run!" on a piece of paper. I have since let go of this theory.

Can't believe I just watched this movie for the first time yesterday. God darn wasn't expecting it to be that good I was expecting real horror but this was psychological horror. 10/10 did Leo or Mark get any nominations for this? I thought Ruffalo did really good in this and Leo was so emotional really good

Second twist: this movie is actually just a dream in inception. He wakes up after dying from the lobotomy.

"Once you're declared insane, then anything you do is called part of that insanity. Reasonable protests are denial. Valid fears, paranoia." -Rachel Solando (cave). After watching this movie and the doctors declaring Teddy is Andrew and insane. Everyone (audience) instantly declares Teddy as insane and disregards him as a Marshal and everything he does or says even if they rewatch it. Mindfucked.

No matter how many FUCKING times I watch this movie. I can always watch it from teddy and Andrews perspective and it works so well both ways at the exact same time. I still want it to be my boi teddy.

Did you notice when he held Dolores in his arms when she turned into ash, in the burning living room, she was also bleeding out, where he shot her.

While part of me questioned whether or not Leo really was a detective, the end wasn't ambiguous at all. He realized his guilt. He understood that he was responsible for the death of his wife, and blamed himself for the death of his children. And he chose to go and erase those memories any way he could. In essence dying as a "good man" because he wouldn't remember what he had done.

This movie is very well written. The end of the story could be interpreted in two ways 1: Andrew is mentally insane. He killed his wife and had a mental break. He could not except reality and thus had to remain on the island indefinitely. 2: Teddy never killed his wife. Teddy was never mentally insane. Everything that Delores said in the cave is true. Teddy gets his mind wiped in the lighthouse and lives the rest of his days out on the island, trapped there by the doctors so that he would not tell the world the truth. I personally believe that Andrew truly is insane. But the amazing way this story is written makes it so that you can look at it two different ways.

I find it funny that the "Would you rather live as a monster or die as a good man?" qoute is being said to the guy who in two years would play The Hulk. (And yes, I know the actor's name.)

I finally got it! "What would be worse to live as a monster or to die as a good man" To live as Andrew or to die as Teddy

You did me proud, son. After about 7 viewings I can confidently say that I'm convinced Andrew didn't regress, he just didn't want to live in a world where he has done the things he's done

This guy is saving me a minimum of 50 bucks per month.

One of the hardest mind f***ks I have ever had from a movie

I've seen the movie 4 times now it's an amazing film. I don't think he regressed in the end, I think he just didn't wanna live with the truth. And a full frontal lobotomy doesn't kill the patient, it basically just renders them into an empty shell. The doc even explains what a lobotomy is.

When I read the book years ago, the scene in the lighthouse was legitimately one of the most revelatory moments I've experienced with a piece of media. It's actually incredible how this story manages to forge a cohesive narrative, only to flip it upside down right at the end and reveal that it was actually something entirely different the whole time. Each detail of the greater picture is still there, but when viewed from this new perspective it forms a completely different whole. Often, authors fail to execute twists like these in a way that feels satisfying, but this whole story builds up to this one twist, and it all makes sense. I'd recommend people to read the book, but... if you're reading this you either already have, have watched the movie, or you've been spoiled by this video regardless, so... there's not much to be done about that.

Leonardo’s acting during the scene where he finds the drowned kids... terrific! absolutely incredible

Everyone is missing one of the biggest clues that he got cured, the final scene when he asked “is it was better to live as a monster or die a good man”,, he looked right at the fire in mark ruffalos hand as he lit the cig, instead of covering the top or avoiding looking at it, and knew the orderlies were coming for him and with no hesitation just walked up to them.

I love this breakdown. I went back and watched the entire movie again, and I saw all the clues which makes me appreciate this movie even more. At the 17:47 minute mark, you can see Dr Sheehan and an orderly look at each other and smirk while Teddy is interrogating the staff. Amazing! These are the things you wouldn’t notice unless you watched the movie a second time. What a masterpiece!

This movie is a perfect example or analogy for the effects of trauma and projection. Our minds tell or make up stories so that we can live. Or at least try to have some type of peace in this horrible world. Sometimes when we can’t deal with reality, we project evil that we have done on to other people. We make them out to be “the bad guy”, because it fits our own narrative that allows us to feel less guilty. Like the doctors kept stating in the movie, Andrew had great “defense mechanisms”. This story Andrew made up in his head is just a defensive mechanism, created to take away any responsibility for what he had done. The truth of what he did was just too hard to bear. What an excellent movie. It’s my favorite movie of all time. This can happen to any of us. And on a lesser scale it already has. We all make up or believe things that we subconsciously know isn’t true, so we can feel better in this life.

This may sound pretentious af, but Andrew's descent into the facility where they keep the most dangerous patients was kinda like him metaphorically descending into the suppressed part of his mind. Or it's just a cool-ass scene.

This movie was one giant roller coaster.

He definitely knew. That look he gives Chuck in the end proved that. It’s really sad.

Way to review a movie, you really hit the nail on the head and dug into the questions everyone was asking. What a great movie I may be almost 12 years late but it was amazing

I literately stopped this video 1:30 in and watched Shutter Island for the first time. When the credits rolled I started it over again. Such an intriguing film!

That scene broke my heart.. seeing all his children dead 😭

I feel like this movie is highly underrated. It didn't receive the praise Inception did and it may just be better.

I like how you started with the twist then told the story , so you could point out the little hints along the way.

Notice how fire is a motif of deception and water is truth

Man. This movie is 10 times better than Inception! Why is it so unpopular?

I taught they drugged him from the beginning and they were trying to make him mentally insane but yeah it opened up to me at the end. What a twist!

This is one of the most underrated movie's of all time. It's also one of my favorite movie's as well. Everything about this movie is spectacular. From the score, to the set design, to the atmosphere, to the actors and their INCREDIBLY performances. ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING about this movie is amazing. I NEVER excited Scorsese to direct a movie like this.

When you talk about the story, you should also mention the screenwriter. I get that you're a fan of Scorsese, but damn, the screenwriters never get any love, despite how much work they put in.

This is a movie where every viewing showcases some new detail. No matter how many times you watch it, you will ALWAYS see something new. A true masterpiece THANX FF!!!!

You perfectly explain why I love this movie and The Prestige so much. Both literally scream their twist at you without you even noticing it, it's fantastic

I very rarely watch a movie multiple times, but this one not only got me to read the book; I've watched it at least 5 times now! All about those layers. I'm not even a huge Scorsese fan overall, but this is truly one of the most underrated movies! Fantastic acting as well.

Jeezus man, as an Iraq/Afghanistan Vet (infantry) this movie really creeps me out. Like when PTSD goes wrong you know? Not that it ever goes right. Chilling

Just a minor but interesting detail, when we see the Nazi lying on the floor bleeding out, in the background is playing a song that was by a Jewish person, which is unlikely to happen irl as we know how the Nazis interacted with Jews, this further proving that Andrew is a unreliable narrator

Guilt is such a haunting emotion to have, but at the same time feeling guilt & remorse for the bad things you've done is what makes you human.

Thank you for clearing that up, I was definitely a little confused when he said Chuck at the end. The thought that he was able to make a choice is a minor comfort in my mind. Fantastic movie with a very somber ending.

YES! I hope this means we get a Donnie darko ending explained soon

I usually don’t like films with open endings, most seem lazy, not very open, or are just done bad, but this movie was an example of a good open ending, I hope conversations about this film and the ending are talked about for a long time.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The first time I saw this movie I didn't understand it at all, the second and third times though I really was able to grasp what was happening and I truly can't praise it enough. Any movie that makes me watch it multiple times is deserving of so much praise.

Thank you thank you thank you... It's been years since I've watched this film but I finally understand after years later what was happening Martin scorcese is a genius

11:04 I thought is was a mistake. Never thought it would be such a strong symbolism... damn

I really wanna believe that the whole thing was really just an elaborate conspiracy to make Teddy believe he was insane but damn 🤔

I watched this for the first time alone in the house in the middle of the night during a rain storm. I'm sure this setting helped fuck my mind harder than it would during a clear day with people around.

Thanks for explaining the disappearing glass of water. I legit thought it was a post-production blunder. Very insightful!

This is one hell of a time consuming role play treatment programme.

this is the movie leo should have won an oscar for...well a lot of his movies he should have

I am a year late and only watched the movie once, but why is no one talking about the rats that appeared before meeting Rachel in the cave?

Think this is the 3rd or 4th of ur videos I've seen & I realise how important ur videos are. Their really handy for people to watch to understand what the movies are about without having to watch them again. Perfect for someone like me that has absolutely no short term memory since having my stroke. So I can watch any movie, but they never make any sense, coz I can't remember the start of the movie, by the time I get to the end. But also why I buy movies instead of renting them. Coz they are all brand new to me in a few months!

This movie broke me. I'm convinced the therapy worked and he didn't regress. So sad. But I highly recommend it. lol

I love this movie. Really stuck with me, I always felt that he chose to be lobotomized in the end

At the end Andrew took the cigarette and watched Chuck light it. He didn't look away or put his hand over the flame. He was free of his fear. He was sane.

I am so glad you posted this video of explanation! In such detail makes me appreciate the well acted made movie to watch AGAIN! thank you!

It really brings awareness to Mental Health and how imperative is to listen, understand and seek help for each other.

When Teddy/Andrew breaks the gun in half, it starts dripping water, (20:27) which fits in with the whole water theme

Great explanation! This made me understand the movie so much more. Thank you!

Just watched this movie again on Netflix... such a masterpiece.

I remember the scene where it all comes back to him with such clarity even though I only saw the movie one time. It actually made me cry. Brutal scene, brilliant acting.

This guy did a fkn awesome Explaining five stars for him

This is one of them movies I've been looking for... I'll remember this one.

i wish i could erase my memory from remembering this movie and watch it again, and to it again xD thats how good this damn movie is

When I watched this waaaay back, my mind was really blown. This is one of my "mind blowing twists" all of time. It really caught me off guard and made me more observative towards every scene in a movie.

Thank you so much for this video, the explanation helped soo much!

i really appreciate how you broke this down thank you

I read the book, never watched the movie but I'm amazed at how close so many things I've seen mirror the book completely. Even some conversations are word-for-word. For what it's worth, from what I've seen so far I think the movie does a better job with certain things.

Where is Donnie Darko??? Please i know you want to make that ending explained :)

Thanks buddy. Awesome. Good luck in all your future videos.

You're the best! One of my fav youtubers

Ben Kingsley was sensational in this. What an actor!

It's nice to see you talk about a movie you really like, it really makes a difference in how you talk about it

What makes this film next level, is that we choose to interpret it our own way. Whatever way we decide to think really happened in the film, is true to our reality. It’s kinda like a shutter island of our own lol

This cleared up so much thankyou.

so Jack drowns in Titanic & is reliving his hell in Shutter Island 😨😝

I like to imagine that the physician doesn't let DiCaprio commit suicide by doctor and has the lobotomy called off like a minute after the credits roll lmao

This movie was amazing so many thoughts and different takes on the meaning and ending I love it !!! He deserves so many more awards !!!

Excellent movie. In that it makes you think in 3D. You also were excellent in explaining it. It's not an easy movie to explain and you did it well. It's like playing 3D chess and breaking it down so someone who never played chess, understands it. Thank you for that amazing trip through a complicated landscape and stay safe!

I loved this movie. Thanks so much for reviewing it. I've always thought the experiment actually worked the last time and that he just chose to make them believe differently. He didn't want to live with the memories of his dead children or the murder of his wife.