Dorothy Mills is an Intriguing Ghost Story
Dorothy Mills delves into possession, multiple personality disorder and the cultish population of a small Irish island with secrets and evil lurking among their religious fervor.
Written by The Horror Czar, BHM Editor Don Sumner
March 25, 2009
Release: February 18, 2009 (U.S. DVD)
Directed by: Agnès Merlet
Written by: Agnès Merlet and Juliette Sales
Starring:
Carice van Houten as Jane Van Dopp
Jenn Murray as Dorothy Mills
David Wilmot as Colin Garrivan
Ger Ryan as Eileen McMahon
David Ganly as Aiden Kearsley
Gary Lewis as Pastor Ross
Dorothy Mills is a young woman living on a small and sparsely populated island off of the Irish territory. Dorothy occasionally babysits for the local townspeople so that they can attend church or have a night out alone, but one afternoon a couple returns from a particularly vigorous church sermon to find sweet young Dorothy violently smashing a bottle into the face of their baby boy. The baby, of course, is howling and as the alarmed parents snatch the child from Dorothy’s hands she begins cursing at them in a deep voice with a decidedly cockney accent. Not the normal tone for such a demure girl…
The authorities are called in response to the attack and Jane (Carice van Houten)
is sent to the island from the United States to perform a psychological analysis on Ms. Mills and determine whether criminal charges are warranted. Jane apparently has the “gift of perception and understanding” and connects with Dorothy right away – as well as Mary, Clint and Mimi… There seems to be several distinct personalities working within Dorothy’s brain, each at odds with the other. In addition to the party inside of Dorothy’s head, there are other strange happenings on the island that are part religious ritual and part torturous fanaticism. The fact that the townsfolk don’t appreciate strangers nosing around their little village does not make the investigation any easier. Is Dorothy a victim of multiple personality disorder or actually channeling spirits? What do the townsfolk actually know about the goings-on, and are they exploiting it? There are some things that science just cannot explain.
Dorothy Mills is a creepy and suspenseful ghost story with an intricate plot that manages to avoid the exhaustion that can sometimes come with intricate plots. Shot on location in Ireland, this film has beautiful scenery and lush visuals throughout and moves along quickly, getting rapidly to the point of each element of the unfolding story. The depiction of the simple lives of the island dwellers transports the viewer to a time centuries past as the clock seems to have stood still in at least one little pocket of the world.
The performance of Jenn Murray as Dorothy is astonishing in this film. Each character within the “multiple personality world” is distinct and each 
emotion, from child-like elation to sheer despair is effectively and realistically displayed, elevating the film from a great ghost story to an intense cinematic work.
Beyond the individual performance of Murray, all of the performances in Dorothy Mills are exceptional, from the psychologist looking for answers to the aggressive pig farmer with a violent nature fueled by a dark and secret past.
What is the difference between a soulless lynch mob and a passionate gathering of devout believers in Christ? In this powerful film we see that, in some cases, not much. Questions or comments about Dorothy Mills? Discuss it on The Ossuary Forums!
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