Steven Soderbergh has entered a stage of his directing career where he can experiment freely without the weight of box office expectations getting in the way. He has proven he can be a box office heavyweight (The Ocean’s films, Erin Brockovich, Traffic) but since announcing his “retirement” Soderbergh has made atypical choices that make him one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. In 2017 he put a fun, hillbilly spin on the heist film with Logan Lucky and now he has stepped into B-movie thriller territory with Unsane. The film is bolstered by an inspired filming choice and a fantastic lead performance from Claire Foy that makes this one to watch.
Claire Foy plays Sawyer Valentini, a thirtysomething woman who is starting a new job in a new city. She’s already receiving rave reviews for her work and an offer from a lecherous boss to accompany him on a trip to a conference. But, despite her employment success, all is not well with Sawyer. On a hookup-gone-wrong, we learn that she has issues. She’s prone to hallucinations and, as she confesses to a psychiatrist, she’s suffering from a form of PTSD related to a stalker incident. Now, she sees the man, an obsessive named David Strine (Joshua Leonard), everywhere. An offhand comment makes the therapist believe she could be suicidal. She is presented with a sheaf of papers (“all routine”) that she foolishly signs without reading, thereby acquiescing to a 24-hour period of voluntary commitment, where a violent outburst turns one day into seven. Inside, she finds a friend in Nate (Jay Pharoah) and an enemy in Violet (Juno Temple). Her mother Angela (Amy Irving) works tirelessly to get her daughter released but Sawyer soon realizes she may have bigger problems than laying low and taking her meds when she recognizes one of her caretakers as her stalker, David Strine. But is he there or is she imagining him?
Much has been made about the method Soderbergh used to film this project. The movie was shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus and while that limits some of his choices for expansive shots, it does add to the uncertainty of the main character’s mindset. The color choices and the way shots are staged make you feel everything that Sawyer is feeling and yes, this could’ve been achieved through traditional means, but I respect Soderbergh for making this artistic choice because he pulls it off expertly.
To a large extent, the success of Unsane relies on the performance of Claire Foy (best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown), who is in nearly every scene. Foy’s range here is a wonder to watch. She has to be likable so we feel sympathy for her situation but she also has to convey a sense that she might be unhinged. It’s a demanding performance but she pulls it off like a pro. I have to say that I’ve never watched The Crown but I’m very interested in seeing what she does next because this is a truly stellar performance.
For Steven Soderbergh, it’s not enough to just make a movie. He’s using techniques that keep things interesting and a lot of directors out there aren’t taking these chances. He isn’t bogged down by studio standards and expectations, this is a director who is free to let his creative juices flow. Media outlets are suggesting this is Soderbergh’s first horror/thriller but its barebones approach and slow build, make it much more than that. Reportedly the film carried a $1.5 million budget, a total it crossed already with its $3.8 million opening. You’ll read some outlets suggesting this is disappointing but Soderbergh believes if you keep the budgets low, these smaller openings are a new level of success that should be respected. Unsane is his latest example of this and not only is it an enthralling experiment, but it’s a fascinating film as well.
