UNSANE (2018) DESPERATELY ALLURING. MOVIE REVIEW

Yes, it was filmed (majestically) with an iPhone.

Although it can be unfairly (and reductively) described as «that movie Steven Soderbergh shot on an iPhone,» Unsane is an extremely stressful and timely film about stalking, insanity, and anxiety.

The unwanted attention that women receive from men and the often unpleasant consequences are the fuel for this movie that yes, it was filmed (majestically) with an iPhone.

The Soderbergh seal of quality

Steven Soderbergh is a well-known name in the industry. Quick and aggressive but perfectly in control, he casts «The Crown» star Claire Foy for an intimate and haunting psychological thriller that cleverly transcends his story.

It is well known that when you have a good story, the means you use to tell it does not matter, it will not stop being good. Now the determining factor to convert a good story into something extraordinary is how the storyteller uses the story (not the resources) to tell it as he wishes.

Claire Foy is magnificent

Foy plays Sawyer Valentin, a slick but troubled businesswoman who leaves no room, and has no time, for ambiguity, professional or personal. At the office, she earns top marks by treating clients with ruthless honesty. She uses dating apps to instigate connections where she guarantees action but makes it clear that there is no romantic future.

Realizing that she is still haunted by the face of David Strine (Joshua Leonard), a man who once harassed her, Sawyer takes one of her to a nearby institution that offers support groups for victims like her. But she inadvertently walks in after completing what she believes to be routine paperwork. The classic terror of being institutionalized against one’s will becomes the engine with which hysteria and despair start.

When Sawyer’s efforts to demonstrate her mental well-being seem to be repeatedly interpreted as acts of hostility, one begins to wonder if she is indeed locked in by her paranoia. She’s desperate to leave the asylum as the faculty increasingly ignores her pleas for help.

Plot Twist

Little by little the clouds begin to clear for Sawyer then she realizes that that clarity is only the eye of the hurricane. Her stalker is working in the same mental institution where she is locked up. She now has to fight against the staff who have labeled her «patient with aggressive tendencies».

Sawyer falls into a downward spiral of fear and doubt, further challenging her to question what happens to her experiences and memories that may or may not be real.

Our verdict

It is admirable how a «technical limitation» becomes something brilliant in the hands of a great director such as Soderbergh and a majestic performance by Claire Foy In general, a well-told story and a good ending is an enjoyable experience. Highly recommended

DELIRIUM SCORE