Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
Alice Gould, a private investigator, pretends to be mentally ill in order to enter a psychiatric hospital and gather evidence for the case she is working on: the death of a patient in unclear circumstances.
God's Crooked Lines is a taut Spanish psychological thriller adapted from Almudena de Arteaga's novel, anchored by a genuinely gripping plot that keeps the viewer constantly questioning whether Alice Gould is sane or delusional. The central ambiguity is masterfully sustained throughout. Barbara Lennie delivers an outstanding lead performance, conveying both sharp intelligence and creeping vulnerability with remarkable control. The cinematography is competent and atmospheric but not particularly distinctive — it serves the confined psychiatric setting well without standing out as exceptional. The premise of an investigator feigning madness in an asylum has antecedents, so novelty is moderate rather than exceptional, though the Spanish setting and the specific philosophical and psychological layering give it a distinct flavor. The ending earns high marks for committing fully to its ambiguity without feeling like a cheat, leaving audiences genuinely unsettled and debating interpretation long after viewing.