As I scrolled through Twitter before Steven Soderbergh's Unsane, something popped into my mind that stuck with me even after the lights went down. The movie that I was about to watch in a theater, a movie made by one of the most respected filmmakers of his generation, was shot on the very thing that I was using to nonchalantly thumb through news articles and golden retriever photos. It's a little daunting (and sad) when you think about it. The democratization of cinematic technology has done wonders for indie filmmakers, best exemplified by Sean Baker's Tangerine, the first small-scale film shot on an iPhone to gain major traction. But even though Soderbergh, through his Fingerprint Releasing label, is attempting to work mostly outside of the studio system these days, the A-list director's grand experiment has the potential to open the floodgates for technologically ambitious projects. It's a fascinating time to be in this business.
But as Unsane progressed, something even more fascinating happened. After a while, my brain stopped actively recognizing that I was watching a movie shot on a low-grade camera. In a different situation, I might chalk that up to the quality of the film itself. But Unsane is merely a serviceable thriller, suffering from a sluggish first half and a serious identity crisis. If anything, the film's hit-or-miss execution could have exposed the glaring errors of this gimmicky format. Instead, Unsane validates Soderbergh's theory that iPhones are the future- the unconventional technology eventually just blends in with the story. I just wish the film itself was as confident as its inspired gimmick. Don't get me wrong, Soderbergh's latest has its share of perverse pleasures, including a narrative that takes some delectably demented turns as it approaches its climax. The experienced director is still a master at piecing together a twisted story, and the more messed up it gets, the more entertaining it is. Yet ultimately, Unsane never completely overcomes its rocky relationship with genre and tone, delivering just enough strangeness to get by without ever fully clicking into place.
Sawyer Valentini (The Crown breakout star Claire Foy) has finally broken away from her childhood roots, working a new job at a big bank in a new city. But Sawyer moved for a reason- and it wasn't just the opportunity of new employment. She was the victim of stalking at the hands of David Strine (Joshua Leonard), an obsessed creep who can't seem to take no for an answer. Even with court orders and restraints, Sawyer still sees David everywhere, and she can't seem to move on with her life. She seeks help from Highland Creek behavioral center, but when she's asked a question about suicide, Sawyer finds herself unknowingly consenting to a stint in a mental institution. Despite her pleadings, nobody seems to care that she doesn't belong here. The only one who listens is Nate (Jay Pharoah), a former heroin addict who informs her that she's part of an insurance scam. But when Sawyer begins seeing David around Highland Creek, she wonders if her sanity really is lost forever...
What Soderbergh does with his preferred camera is certainly a directorial choice meant to evoke a specific effect, but as a film, the buzzy cinematography and strangely off-putting images are external factors at a certain point. Eventually, the film has to move beyond its technological decisions and work in a narrative capacity. And that does happen- it just takes forever to get there. The script by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer is peculiar in many ways, and Soderbergh doesn't seem to know what to do with it at times. Walking the line between genres is always a difficult task, but Unsane isn't a Get Out-style genre-bender in the strictest sense of the word. Instead, in the early goings of the film, I just constantly found myself wondering what Soderbergh and company were trying to do. As the plot is established, the precise tone and genre is totally unclear. Is this a Hitchcockian thriller? A full-blown horror movie? A mystery with some social commentary thrown in? The first half just absolutely does not work, and it's a weird case of a movie consistently failing to ignite.
It isn't until Soderbergh achieves a kind of all-out strangeness that Unsane settles into a real groove. When it embraces nasty violence and twisted psychology, you can feel the director digging in and having some real fun. Because that's the initial problem- for a film billed as something of a rogue experiment, Unsane never feels unpredictable enough for a good chunk of its runtime. I checked my watch around the halfway point, and at this precise moment, Soderbergh finally kicks things into high gear. Unsane cranks up the tension, delivering a couple stunning scenes before connecting all the dots in its knockout conclusion. Even the final stinger feels effective and earned, making this perhaps the perfect example of a movie that sends its audience out on a high.
Much of the heavy lifting is done by the cast, especially Claire Foy. She nails the Boston accent, and she perfectly channels Sawyer's sense of frenzied panic. I never really questioned her mental state (which may or may not have been a purposeful choice), but Foy nonetheless delivers an expertly calibrated, nuanced performance. Joshua Leonard is great as the unnerving antagonist, and there's a lengthy sequence (spoiler?) between him and Foy that is worth the price of admission alone. It's a scene so rich and layered and breathtaking that the rest of the movie just can't match up- not for a lack of trying though. Finally, there's Jay Pharoah, playing the enigmatic Nate Hoffman. His character is impossible to get a read on, but it'll all make sense in the end. Never doubt Soderbergh's ability to flawlessly land a complex, inconsistent story.
And yet, Unsane still leaves a lot to be desired. The music strikes me as emblematic of the entire experience. There's no credited composer, but Soderbergh uses this jumpy techno music throughout the entire film. Why is the music so profoundly odd? I have no idea. It feels like Soderbergh was just messing around, seeing what he could put together and what he might be able to pull off. He produces some fabulous results, but those shining moments are buried in a film that struggles to find its voice at times. While Unsane picks up steam in its second half, it never fully overcomes the tedium of its shaky start.
A fascinating, sometimes wildly entertaining experiment in genre filmmaking? Absolutely. A wholly successful endeavor? Not quite.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.8/10)
Images courtesy of Bleecker Street
But as Unsane progressed, something even more fascinating happened. After a while, my brain stopped actively recognizing that I was watching a movie shot on a low-grade camera. In a different situation, I might chalk that up to the quality of the film itself. But Unsane is merely a serviceable thriller, suffering from a sluggish first half and a serious identity crisis. If anything, the film's hit-or-miss execution could have exposed the glaring errors of this gimmicky format. Instead, Unsane validates Soderbergh's theory that iPhones are the future- the unconventional technology eventually just blends in with the story. I just wish the film itself was as confident as its inspired gimmick. Don't get me wrong, Soderbergh's latest has its share of perverse pleasures, including a narrative that takes some delectably demented turns as it approaches its climax. The experienced director is still a master at piecing together a twisted story, and the more messed up it gets, the more entertaining it is. Yet ultimately, Unsane never completely overcomes its rocky relationship with genre and tone, delivering just enough strangeness to get by without ever fully clicking into place.
Sawyer Valentini (The Crown breakout star Claire Foy) has finally broken away from her childhood roots, working a new job at a big bank in a new city. But Sawyer moved for a reason- and it wasn't just the opportunity of new employment. She was the victim of stalking at the hands of David Strine (Joshua Leonard), an obsessed creep who can't seem to take no for an answer. Even with court orders and restraints, Sawyer still sees David everywhere, and she can't seem to move on with her life. She seeks help from Highland Creek behavioral center, but when she's asked a question about suicide, Sawyer finds herself unknowingly consenting to a stint in a mental institution. Despite her pleadings, nobody seems to care that she doesn't belong here. The only one who listens is Nate (Jay Pharoah), a former heroin addict who informs her that she's part of an insurance scam. But when Sawyer begins seeing David around Highland Creek, she wonders if her sanity really is lost forever...
What Soderbergh does with his preferred camera is certainly a directorial choice meant to evoke a specific effect, but as a film, the buzzy cinematography and strangely off-putting images are external factors at a certain point. Eventually, the film has to move beyond its technological decisions and work in a narrative capacity. And that does happen- it just takes forever to get there. The script by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer is peculiar in many ways, and Soderbergh doesn't seem to know what to do with it at times. Walking the line between genres is always a difficult task, but Unsane isn't a Get Out-style genre-bender in the strictest sense of the word. Instead, in the early goings of the film, I just constantly found myself wondering what Soderbergh and company were trying to do. As the plot is established, the precise tone and genre is totally unclear. Is this a Hitchcockian thriller? A full-blown horror movie? A mystery with some social commentary thrown in? The first half just absolutely does not work, and it's a weird case of a movie consistently failing to ignite.
It isn't until Soderbergh achieves a kind of all-out strangeness that Unsane settles into a real groove. When it embraces nasty violence and twisted psychology, you can feel the director digging in and having some real fun. Because that's the initial problem- for a film billed as something of a rogue experiment, Unsane never feels unpredictable enough for a good chunk of its runtime. I checked my watch around the halfway point, and at this precise moment, Soderbergh finally kicks things into high gear. Unsane cranks up the tension, delivering a couple stunning scenes before connecting all the dots in its knockout conclusion. Even the final stinger feels effective and earned, making this perhaps the perfect example of a movie that sends its audience out on a high.
Much of the heavy lifting is done by the cast, especially Claire Foy. She nails the Boston accent, and she perfectly channels Sawyer's sense of frenzied panic. I never really questioned her mental state (which may or may not have been a purposeful choice), but Foy nonetheless delivers an expertly calibrated, nuanced performance. Joshua Leonard is great as the unnerving antagonist, and there's a lengthy sequence (spoiler?) between him and Foy that is worth the price of admission alone. It's a scene so rich and layered and breathtaking that the rest of the movie just can't match up- not for a lack of trying though. Finally, there's Jay Pharoah, playing the enigmatic Nate Hoffman. His character is impossible to get a read on, but it'll all make sense in the end. Never doubt Soderbergh's ability to flawlessly land a complex, inconsistent story.
And yet, Unsane still leaves a lot to be desired. The music strikes me as emblematic of the entire experience. There's no credited composer, but Soderbergh uses this jumpy techno music throughout the entire film. Why is the music so profoundly odd? I have no idea. It feels like Soderbergh was just messing around, seeing what he could put together and what he might be able to pull off. He produces some fabulous results, but those shining moments are buried in a film that struggles to find its voice at times. While Unsane picks up steam in its second half, it never fully overcomes the tedium of its shaky start.
A fascinating, sometimes wildly entertaining experiment in genre filmmaking? Absolutely. A wholly successful endeavor? Not quite.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.8/10)
Images courtesy of Bleecker Street
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