Unsane

Unsane

Starring Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Juno Temple

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

The Story:
For two years, Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) has been stalked by David Strine (Joshua Leonard), after she tended to his ailing father.  He became obsessed with her, causing her to move to a different state, get a new job, change all her normal routines, and keep her living in a constant state of fear and depression.

After visiting a psychiatrist, she fills out what she thinks are normal forms, but they're papers that allow the psychiatric hospital to keep her overnight.  After she attacks a nurse after thinking he is David, she is confined to the mental ward for seven days.  She then sees David again as another nurse and panics, believing he has found her and that her life is in danger - but no one believes her.  Has David actually found her, or is she really going insane?

The Synopsis:
The first thing you notice with "Unsane" is that the aspect ratio is off.  It doesn't fill the screen, but rather confines the events to a much smaller ratio, and that's no accident.  Even though you'd expect a film like this to be directed by some newcomer, it's actually done by Steven Soderbergh, best known for directing the "Ocean's" movies, as well as recently with the impeccable "Logan Lucky."  Here, he takes his first adventure into psychological horror in a way that's all-encompassing: there's nowhere to hide, not even on the screen itself.

Shot entirely from the iPhone 7 Plus, Soderbergh narrows the story down to one woman's quest for survival, either psychologically or physically, by condensing the screen so we feel like we're in her head space - there's dizzying moments of insanity, and the world looks a whole lot different than it is, giving a sense of dread throughout.  We're introduced to Claire Foy's Sawyer as she's already endured the struggle of a stalker, and it's like we're viewing a second act of the show.  We don't know how this obsession happened, or even know who David is, until at least a third of the way into the film, which adds to the mystery and danger the film delivers.  The entire first half of the film is pure genius, keeping you riveted to the screen and even emoting emotions within you like anger and disgust as you witness the trials Sawyer goes through.

Much more than just a simple stalker story, "Unsane" also delves into the dangers of mental hospitals, and the lackluster background checks they go through.  Sawyer is admitted after signing a few papers (a lesson for everyone:  read everything before you sign!), and the hospital staff won't let her leave, or even make a phone call (after unsuccessfully calling the police, something admittedly wasn't too bright on her part).  She's put in a room with other mental patients, which seems in itself a very dangerous thing, as she's stuck with rapists and truly insane people like Violet, psychotically played by Juno Temple.  The first night, Violet threatens to cut Sawyer's hair while she sleeps, and shows a sharp tool she has hidden under her clothes.  This is by no means a normal mental hospital, which only adds to the tension, along with the suspension of belief.  Sawyer thinks she sees David as one of the nurses, and while it could easily be explained as something in her psychotic mind, in a hospital this unwholesome, it could also be very possible.

Claire Foy - best known for her Golden Globe-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth in the hit Netflix series "The Crown" - gives up the regalia of the queen and instead becomes an isolated princess, a woman on the verge of a mental breakdown.  She's endured a psychotic stalker, and is just trying to get her life back in order.  Then she's sentenced to this type of prison (even she describes it as such), and is subjected to even more torture at the hands of people who only claim to want to help her.  Foy delivers a tour-de-force performance, a woman who never settles for being a victim, while all the time even debating whether she is actually crazy or not.  While her headstrong nature helps her in certain situations, she often flies off the handle and finds herself in more trouble.  Yet, through it all, we're left to wonder whether or not Sawyer is actually insane - until the second act, which is the pitfall of the film.

While we learn the truth behind everything, it leaves behind plot holes bigger than most pot holes, and leads to a rather obvious conclusion.  However, since the first half of the film was so strong and powerful, that could be forgiven because by then we're already deeply invested in Sawyer, and eagerly await justice for her.  It is an emotional rollercoaster ride, a deeply psychological thriller, one that is only heightened by the acting, script, and especially the filming style.

The Summary:
"Unsane" is a deeply thoughtful psychological thriller where you never know what will happen, delivered by a strong performance and claustrophobic filming style.

The Score: A-