Actually, "Bedlam" is billed as a Drama first, then a Horror and then a Thriller movie. there is very little horror and it's not very thrilling, but you get to see Boris Karloff as a villain, but he's not very scary. This is a Val Lewton production, which means it gets the most value out of a very small budget, and from that standpoint the movie is fairly interesting.Anna Lee is lovely as the crusading Nell Bowen, who tries to expose Karloff's Mental institution as unhealthy and unsanitary and houses political prisoners as well as certifiables. The Institution suffers from a lack of ambiance, and not such a bad place as the original Bedlam. I think that's due to the restrictive budget, since Lewton worked miracles with other under-budget pictures. I suppose if you are a fan of Boris Karloff you might enjoy this film more than I did, but I can't recommend it otherwise.p.s. The website will not take my corrected spelling of ambiance (an e in place of the second a), just so you know.

Of their collaborations The Body Snatcher especially is a superior film but Bedlam has many impressive things about it. The pacing can feel a little too padded out at times, and for my tastes Richard Fraser's performance is too stiff and underplayed. How Bedlam is made though is both sumptuous and atmospheric and the historical period detail is highly impressive too. The music is hauntingly eerie, while not undermining the suspense, while the film is very intelligently scripted with dialogue that provokes your thoughts a lot. There is a fair bit of talk but you don't mind when the dialogue is as well-written as it is, if I have a problem with a film being talky it is when the dialogue is not particularly good really. The story has a restrained yet eerie atmosphere, is suspenseful and handles the idea of living life in a confined place better than a fair number of films I've seen(there are some obvious ones that are an exception though). Boris Karloff gives a performance that is menacing and witty, clearly relishing his role, while Anna Lee is appealingly spirited. Billy House does a good job playing pompous and Jason Robards Snr makes the most of his interesting character. To conclude, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A society of loose morals beneath and cruelty and indifference atop where the deaths of the mentally ill are as no more than the blink of an eye. This is the setting for the film and Hogarth's sketches are used as chapter headings throughout.A woman kept as a jester by Lord Mortimer, Nell Bowen, has a chance meeting with a Quaker outside an infamous mental institution, St Mary of Bethelhem's Asylum. The Quaker notes in Nell kindness and courage towards the mentally ill she has just visited: tuppence gained entry to laugh and mocked the afflicted. The meeting catalyses a change in Nell and she soon throws off Lord Moritmer and strikes out to reform treatment at the asylum, which is under the rule of a monstrous manipulator called Simms, Boris Karloff at his dastardly best. Simms connives to have Nell sectioned and she ends up in the bedlam that is the asylum, however he underestimates the affect Nell will have on the place and its incarcerated inhabitants.A witty film that will always be relevant as treatment of the mentally ill and the most vulnerable remains an ongoing issue. It is well acted by all and although the plot is perhaps predictable there are lots of quirks along the way that make it interesting including the fate of Simms ...

Unlike most horror films of 1940's, this movie, written by producer Val Lewton and director Mark Robson, does not show escapist monster rally - like atmospheric and well-made films from Universal - but something truly disturbing: human's cruelty to other humans. It is 18th century England and Bedlam, real-life institution for mentally ill, is hell on Earth (a bit like concentration camp in North Korea, minus human experiments). Quick-tempered actress (Anna Lee) opposes mercilessly sadistic warden (Boris Karloff) and depraved treatment of mentally ill, and she is soon endangered herself. Nice costumes, sets and props and (unfortunately) timeless and powerful message for need of human treatment for people with mental health problems, even if they are violent.