A psychotherapist haunted by a nonsensical plot [Review of the motion picture Gothika]

Gothika breaks new ground in forensic psychology by implying a new defense: innocent by reason of spirit possession. The film, on its surface, deals with a number of other psychological issues. Its heroine, Dr. Miranda Gray, is a criminal psychologist who works in an institution for the criminally insane. There is discussion of repression as a "survival tool," episodes of apparent psychogenic amnesia, and speculations on the psychology of serial rapists and killers. All of these, however, are but a flimsy cover for a poorly constructed, illogical plot that does as much disservice to the presentation of psychological matters as to the enjoyment of a good ghost story.