Review by Bindi Lavelle
Gabriel Byrne has never looked so good as the wicked Lord Byron, in Gothic, a tale of good what's gone bad.
The loose basis of the film is , an old story you may have heard in English class: The poet Lord Byron invited some friends to his lake side Villa for a night of opium and shenanigans. Along the way they have ghost story competition, resulting in Mary Shelly's classic novel, Frankenstein.
The film of course takes great liberty with its source material, focusing almost entirely on the group's bad trip. This however is where the film gets all its suspense; each member of the party descends into the dark quarters of their psyches , this leads to unrest, paranoia and violence.
Gothic is a crazy scattered journey through the sinister side of the imagination. It also casts a different shadow on the iconic Frankenstein, seeing its origin as an opium fuels scare-fest.
Gothic work as a psychological thriller, delusion and paranoia melt together to create a sinister atmosphere. This film is best enjoyed late at night after a couple of drinks to set the mood.
This is an engaging film, made so by a great performance from Byrne as well as the simple but elegant visuals which creates an emotive atmosphere.7/10.