Unsane Review

R: Disturbing behavior, violence, language, and sex references

Bleecker Street, Fingerprint Releasing, Regency Enterprises

1 Hr and 38 Minutes

Dir: Steven Soderbergh | Writers: Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer

Cast: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Juno Temple, Aimee Mullins, Amy Irving

INTRO: I literally just heard about this movie one week ago. I had no idea Soderbergh was coming out with another film. It seemed like Logan Lucky came out just yesterday. I thought the son of a bitch was going to retire! Well, after seeing everything he’s been up to recently and the current streak he’s been having, Soderbergh better not retire anytime soon.

Sawyer Valentini, a bright but troubled business woman, begins to find out that her past is catching up to her when a former hospice patient's son starts to stalk her. To ensure her safety, Sawyer signs up for a support group that helps people tackle stalking problems. Unfortunately, Sawyer finds out that she has involuntarily placed herself in a mental institution with strict rules that there should be no contact with the outside world. Alone and trapped against her will, Sawyer must fight her own demons within the twisted asylum as the visions of her stalker begin to take over.

THE GOOD

If Soderbergh can direct an entire film with an iPhone, anyone can.

Right when the film opens with Sawyer (played by Claire Foy) in her office space, you can clearly see that this was shot on an iPhone. The aspect ratio and the quality is all of which you can decipher comes from an iPhone. The shot composition is great and makes it still look like an actual, standard Hollywood film.

Sean Baker broke into the scene several years ago with Tangerine, which was the first feature film shot with an iPhone while still being a good film in of itself. This is the same case with Unsane. At first, you think the iPhone cinematography done by Soderbergh would come across as a gimmick but, surprisingly, Soderbergh utilizes it as a realistic layer of nuance.

We follow a woman named Sawyer who goes to a therapy appointment for one minute to avoid her stalker. That leads to her being put into a mental ward, held against her will, WHILE HER STALKER IS STILL THERE INVOKING FEAR EVERY CHANCE HE GETS!

While Sawyer is forced to stay in this mental ward, we follow her slowly losing her mind because of everything that is going against her. How would you react if you were a normal person stuck in a mental ward (with actual mental people) while the person who you got a restraining order against is there as your physician?

Honestly, this would be me cause I know I wouldn’t be able to survive that shit.

This has to be the most frightening situation a woman can literally go through. Unsane has to be the scariest horror movie for women in the same way Get Out is for black people. Then, when the explanation for the reason why this clinic evilly traps innocent people into this institution comes, you kind of buy it.

Every time Sawyer gets close to being attacked, she rightfully defends herself, yet she gets penalized for her actions. You see the shit she’s put through where everyone else is putting her in the box of “OH SHE CRAZY DON’T LISTEN TO HER!” when you, the audience member, sees her as normal. The only fault Sawyer has is her aggressive temperament.

I never watched The Crown on Netflix so this movie is my introduction to actress Claire Foy. By God, is she a powerhouse. With every scene, Foy portrays the perfect avatar for the audience that we follow and root for all the way through. She may be aggressive, but Sawyer is smart and knows how to get things her way. We’re in March, but Foy gives an electrifying performance that I feel will stick with me for the rest of the year.

Besides Foy being fantastic, one of the best characters (and surprisingly great) performances comes from Jay Pharoah. Yeah, that comedian from SNL who was there from 2012-2016. This is Pharaoh’s first high-profile onscreen performance, and he’s great. His character Nate is the only guy in the ward that isn’t crazy. He is also the only person Sawyer befriends. You like this guy, not only because he’s funny but, because of how friendly and down to earth he is.

THE BAD

The only complaint I have against the film is a very unnecessary distracting cameo by an A-list star which takes you out of the film briefly. I wouldn’t mind that this A-list actor who appears in one scene would come in any time of the film, but he’s introduced during a key flashback scene that shows Sawyer’s backstory.

LAST STATEMENT

Chilling, thrilling, and innovatively shot in a quality that gives the story a realistic aura, Soderbergh’s “Unsane” is a disturbing psychological thriller with superb direction and a captivating performance by Claire Foy.

Rating: 4/5  | 85%

Super Scene: Sawyer converts David.