Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story

7, because Christina Ricci Judith Light Nellie "Bly"

When Lifetime does a movie, we know a lot about what it will be like. Lifetime movies are their own genre. I haven't watched one for probably 30 years because: vcrs, dvds, real cable, streaming.

Almost didn't watch this, but Ricci & Light were a draw for me.

It's a passable movie, decent sets etc. Categorised under Horror/Thriller, I was surprised to find it a Based On.

Don't expect Eli Roth level scares, although it's a truly horrifying fact that women were treated like this. The movie is generalities & smoothed edges.

Best about it was discovering the real story, of which I was totally ignorant. If this was complete fiction, it would be a 5 for me.

A watchable movie for a day you need good actresses, decent sets, & a story you can glide in & out of.

If it piques your interest, read her actual story!

The tragedy of Lifetime's presentation of Nellie Bly's story of her time in the insane asylum on Blackwell's Island is that reality of what happened to her and chronicalled in her book '10 Days in the Madhouse' is far more interesting than the fictionalized account presented in the film. What Nellie Bly did was remarkable and lead to significant reforms in the way things were done. Truth is frequently more interesting than fiction.

Lifetime seems to be stepping up their game. They did a great job with the "Surviving R Kelly" series, and now they've released this TV movie. Is this movie perfect? NO. But it's a Lifetime movie, which are usually horrible and this is miles above their usual stuff.

The topic is fascinating - the horrors of an 1887 women's mental institution. Which is a terrifying premise given that back then women could be thrown into institutions for almost any reason, and with little to no rights, they were stuck there sometimes forever.

I'm not sure that they way the movie's story is structured best serves the story as there is a late reveal that might have been interesting to have known in advance and watched in real-time. I won't spoil that twist here, but I'll tell you that if you don't want to know, you should NOT read the movie descriptions in advance. Part of the problem is that I did read the description on my Comcast, so I knew way more than the amnesiac heroine and the late-story twist was no surprise to me. Still, despite that, I found myself entertained and there are plenty of small character twists to surprise you. Great performances from Christina Ricci and Judith Light!

After watching the movie, you can go online and read about the real Nelly Bly, and you'll discover that this movie veers pretty far off the actual historical events. However, it still makes for an interesting angle that is at least "inspired by" the real story.

Why Hollywood would take an exceptional chronicle written by Nellie Bly and turn it into a pathetic presentation is beyond me. Her book "10 Days In A Madhouse" offers far more in the way of graphic detail of abuse than the movie does and it does not in any way romanticize the days she spent on Blackwell's Island in the asylum. I found the movie overly played and, frankly, boring.

This was... fine. But on the low end of it. Also it is probably too late but don't read the description or watch the trailer as it just immediately tells you the "twist" lol

The beginning was confusing, and not in an atmospheric, tone setting way... just... confusing. As it went on it started to clear up but never got particularly "exciting" yet still kept your attention and intrigue. I know nothing about the historical accuracy of this portrayal but I bet they could have beefed it up a bit.

As far as the acting goes everyone did a fine job. The old timey affectation that more times than not goes with a period piece of this era felt a little too stilted at times and was distracting, particularly from Nellie and the doctor. They did a good job but weren't always fully convincing. Judith Light on the other hand did a fantastic job. Her professionalism, experience and tact as an actress really shines through here.

Over all this lands around a 4.5 rounding up to 5 as it wasn't BAD by any means... definitely a Lifetime movie if you know what I mean. As far as a recommendation... I'm indifferent.