Film of the Week: Unsane

Unsane is a powerful, hard hitting psychological thriller about a woman who recently moved cities to escape a stalker. Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) had just started a new life, found a good job, and was happy. Unfortunately, her experience with her stalker had a lasting impression, and occasionally, she would see him there when he’s not. In an attempt to get this all behind her, she goes and asks for help – a simple conversation which spiralled downwards and immediately after her talk she’s forced to stay against her will at Highland Creek Behavioral Centre. The reason why she must stay is because she willingly – but unknowingly – signed a voluntary consent form.

Unsane at first gets you questioning whether she really is crazy or not. I believed this question would be the backbone of the entire film, but is instead only for the first half, whereas the second half reveals all. There’s an extra layer to the film that was happening in the background and was only subtly referenced to when necessary – and that’s the secret reporter hidden as one of the patients who was working on an article which would expose the centre of committing people against their will.

Claire Foy’s and Joshua Leonard’s acting was phenomenal throughout. The scenes when they were in the solitary confinement room together – the best scene in the entire film. Clever script, excellent delivery, and with it being in a room with only four walls the minimal directing made it flow effortlessly – I clung onto every word Clair and Joshua said, felt their emotions. I was watching with bated breath, wondering what would happen next. There was a lot going on in that scene, but I captured literally everything. That, for me was hands down, the best scene in a film this year.

Unsane is a film that definitely creates an impact to the viewer. When the credits rolled, I breathed out deeply with exhaustion. My feelings were battered left right and centre throughout, I barely blinked to make sure I caught everything, and made sure to listen to every word spoken. Unsane is a film that hits hard and doesn’t apologise afterwards, but instead keeps hitting harder and then suddenly stops, walks away, but instead of leaving you wondering what the heck happened, you know everything. Unsane is an experience.

But, unfortunately, it’s an experience I would only want to have once. It’s so hard-hitting, it’s not something I could watch a second time. Knowing what is to come, I would definitely have to be in the right mind-set to see the film for what it is a second timer round. It’s not that type of film where it gets easier to watch the more times you do; it will remain just has hard-hitting as it was during the first time. It’s a phenomenal film, through and through, but the only way I feel I’m going to watch it again is if I don’t know what it has in store for me.

There was a particular fact about this film I only found out after seeing the film when I went to the IMDB page to add it to my list of films I had watched – I decided to check out the trivia page to see if there was anything interesting, and I discovered the entire film was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus, with the App, FiLMiC Pro. Stephen Soderbergh directed an entire film not with these highly expensive, technologically advanced cameras massive blockbusters use, but with a device everyone uses, with an App anyone can download. Whilst he does have the expertise of a director and knows how to shoot a film, it does go to show what can be achieved. It must be noted that this film will inspire those who are interested in directing. They don’t have to wish to have enough money to purchase a high end camera, they can just use their phone.

Unsane may have opened the door for a new chapter in Hollywood, we just have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)