4 disturbing scenes from Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story
By Mads Lennon
Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story is Lifetime’s latest biopic about the woman who revolutionized American journalism by uncovering brutality and abuse at the Woman’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell Island.
The Nellie Bly Story is a tragic tale of one woman’s journey to uncover sinister truths about the treatment of mentally ill women at an infamous asylum located on Blackwell Island. Prior to Nellie’s research and eventual undercover infiltration of the asylum, investigative reporting did not exist. Even though Nellie’s journey was harrowing and full of unspeakable torment, she was a catalyst for change both in the reformation of mental health care and that of journalism.
Although we should tread lightly with any Lifetime movie branded as a “true story”, this one boasts a strong cast and I couldn’t deny the allure of seeing Judith Light and Christina Ricci going head-to-head.
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The following are a four scenes that stood out to me the most and highlighted the true depravity exhibited by Matron Grady (Judith Light) and the nurses in her employ.
1. Leech Treatment
When Matron Grady begins to suspect there may be some kind of romantic tryst occurring between Nellie (Christina Ricci) and Doctor Josiah (Joshua Bowman), she takes matters into her own hands.
In both a retaliation (since Nellie stole Lottie’s (Anja Savcic) baby blanket from Grady’s office) and a pre-emptive strike (she doesn’t want Nellie to escape by seducing Josiah) Grady rather horrifically straps Nellie into a chastity belt and then straps her down to a table where she uses leeches to end her “quick-blood”, another term for lust or raging hormones.
The scene isn’t too graphic but the visual of the leeches and the implication of where Grady plans to put them coupled with Nellie’s anguished screams is enough to make your skin crawl.