Watch Mad Room, The

Mad Room is a psychological thriller film from 1969 directed by Bernard Girard and stars Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters, and Skip Ward. The movie follows the lives of three individuals who are trapped in a psychiatric institution due to their mental health conditions. The film showcases their struggles and tribulations as they try to cope with their mental illness within the confines of the institution.

The movie opens with Atwood (Stella Stevens) being admitted to the institution. She is a nurse who has been institutionalized due to her mental breakdown brought about by severe emotional and physical exhaustion from work. Her therapist, Dr. Doremus (Barry Gordon), tries to help her regain her mental stability through various treatments.

Another patient at the institution is Mrs. Armstrong (Shelley Winters), who is a middle-aged woman who was admitted after experiencing a nervous breakdown. She is highly anxious and paranoid, and she believes that her husband is conspiring against her. She spends her days pacing around, worrying about her husband's supposed affair and plotting her escape from the institution.

The third patient is Jim (Skip Ward), a young man who has been admitted after a failed suicide attempt. He is brooding and depressed, and his past trauma of witnessing his father's death has led him to become suicidal. He is assigned to share a room with Atwood, but his mood swings and erratic behavior make him a challenge to live with.

The three patients interact with each other throughout the movie, with Atwood acting as the mediator between Jim and Mrs. Armstrong, who often clash due to their differing personalities. The patients' mental conditions, however, seem to worsen as the days go by, and the confines of the institution, coupled with the unorthodox treatments given by the doctors, begin to take a toll on their mental stability.

As the story progresses, the audience is witness to the various treatment methods given to the patients by the doctors and staff at the institution. These treatments range from electroconvulsive therapy to hypnotherapy, which often leave the patients disorientated and confused. The harsh methods used by the doctors create a tense atmosphere, and it is clear that the patients are being treated in a more punitive manner rather than a therapeutic one.

The patients' desire for freedom and normalcy leads them to devise a plan to escape the institution. Their attempt is fraught with challenges, and the ensuing chaos exposes their vulnerabilities and the fragility of their mental states. As the story concludes, the audience is left to wonder whether the three patients will ever regain their sanity and ultimately recover from their mental illnesses.

Overall, Mad Room is a captivating and thought-provoking movie that explores the complex world of mental illness and the treatments given to patients. The performances of the lead actors are impressive, and the movie's gritty and realistic portrayal of an institution in the late 1960s adds depth to the story. The film's climax is intense, and the audience is left to grapple with the moral dilemmas posed by the treatment of patients in psychiatric institutions.