Unsane: Review

He may of directed Ocean's 11, 12, and 13 but can Steven Soderbergh - supposedly retired after 2013's Behind the Candelabra - return to his days of complex and intellectual film making with a single character piece? Shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Soderbergh's latest uniquely titled feature Unsane (which isn't actually a word) follows Sawyer Valentine, a young stalker victim who accidentally enrols herself into a mental facility. She is forced to stay against her will by the distant and difficult staff, and begins to think her stalker is working at the hospital. The more she explains she's not crazy however, the crazier they think she is. Is she correct, or truly insane?

Soderbergh's latest iPhone 7 shot picture may be interesting to look but its execution very poor. Whilst you can't beat a good old fashion movie camera, it is refreshing to see an experiment hit the mainstream in this way.  In spite of an absorbing first act, Unsane doesn't really deliver the movie you think you are going to get. Promising an agitated tale of anxiety and fear, Soderbergh's latest feature sounds far more intelligent, even looks more intelligent than it actually turns out to be. It may have seemed a marvellous idea on paper but, in simple terms Unsane is absolutely ridiculous. As a film supposedly depicting the insanity of the human mind, Soderbergh serves a load of randomness and disconnection that becomes increasingly uncomfortable to endure. 
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Once our lead reaches the facility, almost at the drop of a pin Unsane becomes a silly, solitary confinement thriller that triggers a domino effect of every other scene appearing even more ridiculous than the previous. The ideas of exploring the mind of a stalking victim is completely abandoned and Unsane develops into a nonsensical, crazy ex-boyfriend thriller that is low on originality and high on cheap thrills. Devoid of any creativity whatsoever, we are delivered a cinematic piece with an almost desperate reliance on shock value - whether it happens to scare you or not, Unsane is lazy and inexcusable. 

​Holding a stern face throughout, Netflix's The Crown star Claire Foy throws in the jewelled tiara for hospital scrubs. Surrounded by some very questionable performances, Foy's anxious and apprehensive turn provides many gripping moments in a film that would be completely lost without her. Though I haven't seen the young British actress before, she is most definitely a fascinating talent to look out for. Unsane really misses a trick - hinting at an interesting concept with a star who works over time only to deliver a ridiculous bargain bucket movie deal. Yes, Unsane feels claustrophobic, because you're trapped in a movie you don't want to be in. 

Unsane:

Awful