Unsane

Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane, tells the story of a woman who is wrongly admitted into in a mental institution, and discovers that she is trapped in the same facility as her stalker.

Shot entirely on iPhone, simplicity is key in Soderbergh’s psychological thriller. The iPhone cinematography really works in the film’s favour and accentuates it with a layer of intimate and high-strung tension. The harsh and grainy visuals lend the film a low-budget aesthetics and make the horror feels particularly grounded. Through the voyeuristic and shadowy gaze of the camera, Soderbergh turns the location of horror into a labyrinth of frustration and paranoia. The film also touches on themes about the corruption of American corporations, but the true genius of the film lies in its take on the complex psyche — the violence, invasiveness and manipulation — of assault. Claire Foy’s central performance in the film grippingly conveys the many levels of trauma, anger, self-doubt and despair of assault victims. The inevitable confrontation between Foy’s Sawyer and her stalker will induce unease in the most satisfying manners.

(Originally posted on 1 Apr 2018 @projectunwrapped)