Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Mr_Ectoplasma The last of several films Mark Robson directed under Val Lewton in the 1940s (a crop which included the standout "The Seventh Victim"), "Bedlam" bases itself on a fictionalized version of the Bethlem Royal Hospital where a cruel overlord (played by Boris Karloff) governs his madhouse where a young heroine finds herself imprisoned.As other reviewers have noted, this is not so much a "horror" film in the standard sense of the word-but then again, neither are several of the Lewton films of this period. "Bedlam" is a drama first, with shades of horror and suspense folded in. It's somewhat plot-heavy, though not as convoluted as some of the Robson-Lewton efforts, and does boast some memorable cinematography and a significant sense of unease and claustrophobia.It at times reminded me somewhat of the 1964 film "Shock Treatment" starring Lauren Bacall, which seems to have taken its cues from "Bedlam" and transposed them in the twentieth century. The cast is rather large, with Anna Lee leading as the formidable heroine, and Karloff giving a deranged performance that is noteworthy. The film's climax is a definite selling point here, and the last act is particularly interesting, outshining what comes before it by leaps and bounds.All in all, "Bedlam" is a solid film that offers Robson's signature atmosphere with the eighteenth century period-piece finishings. For a picture about madness, it is appropriately mad, and though not a cutthroat horror epic by any means, it is fairly unsettling at moments and relentlessly atmospheric. Not a flawless film by any means-it is somewhat tonally uneven-but worthwhile no less. 7/10.

TheLittleSongbird 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

JLRMovieReviews Not your usual horror movie, but highly effective is this tale of the St. Mary's of Bethlehem Insane Asylum, better known as Bedlam, and how its inhabitants are treated. Boris Karloff is the warden and caretaker! for them all, but instead of looking after their needs he beats them and tortures them...and neglects them, if they're lucky. We enter the story, as one of them, supposedly, is trying to escape through a window and off the roof (what an ill-advised route anyway,) when an assistant of sorts sees him and makes him fall off the roof by pressing on his hands, as he was dangling. What an eerie and disturbing way to begin! Now we see Lord Mortimer and his protégé, Nell Bowen, as they become interested in the calamity outside the asylum. By the chance of them knowing the poor lad who fell, Lord Mortimer wants to speak to Mr. Sims (Boris Karloff) about this outrageous incident. Nell, played by the lovely Anna Lee, becomes interested in the conditions of the inmates of Bedlam, even more so after visiting there. She wants to help in some way, but is not sure how. But she doesn't know what she's up against with Boris Karloff. Karloff's voice is so distinctive and has that storyteller's flair of dramatics and inflection that just to listen to him almost keeps you from really hearing what evil things come from his mouth. Anna Lee, who also was in "The Sound of Music," How Green was My Valley," and was Ms. Lila Quartermaine on "General Hospital," is stunning and quick-witted in this bizarre tale and embodies the heart and conscience of the story. Ian Wolfe, who was a supporting character actor from the 1930s to the TV shows of the 1960s/1970s, also stars and is probably given his most memorable role in his career here as "the best lawyer in London. That's why they locked me up here." With an assortment of poor souls in Bedlam, who look bad off and are probably worse off in the head, this is one horror film, you'll have to see to believe. There is one very beautiful girl who stands in the corner looking up and never saying a word, as if she were turned to stone, who seems to symbolize the inmates, in that though they may not act as if they know what's in their mind, they know kindness from scorn. It takes a lot to lose oneself completely; it takes a lot to lose complete sanity. They are still people with feelings. This is a horror film with more than your usual share of screams and fright. Beyond and inside the pit of insanity, there's the person. Witness Bedlam and see for yourself the conscience of producer Val Lewton.

bkoganbing In Bedlam, Boris Karloff got one of the great villainous screen roles of his career. No costumes save of the period and no makeup aided him creating his character of Gerald Sims the Apothecary General of the United Kingdom and keeper of an insane asylum where he treats the inmates with barbaric cruelty unmatched on the screen. Aiding and abetting Karloff with his favor and patronage is rich lord Billy House. When House's mistress, actress Anna Lee shows some concern over the treatment of the people inside, House and Karloff conspire to have her committed there. But when she needs them those inmates prove to be her allies and helpful allies indeed.Besides Karloff, two other things Val Lewton's film has going for it that make it an outstanding classic. One is the meticulous detail that was paid to sets and costumes creating the atmosphere of 18th century Great Britain. RKO gave Lewton a bit more money on this film than they had on previous ones and he used it wisely. The other is Lewton's own original screenplay, based on William Hogarth's sketches of The Rake's Progress.Though considered a classic now, Bedlam failed at the box office. I have no doubt that Val Lewton was influenced by the reports of the Holocaust. But the idea that such barbarities could be inflicted by our civilized allies and mother country Great Britain was one that was way too disquieting to the movie-going public. I think that's the reason it failed. The film however was ahead of its times.Also the idea that one could be committed to an insane asylum under the pretexts that Anna Lee had done to her, was also a disquieting notion, something people did not want to think about.In retrospect Boris Karloff got one of the great roles of his career in Bedlam. Bedlam is a must for Karloff fans and for students of the serious, very serious cinema.