My History With the Film:
Unhinged was released in 2020 right as the pandemic was hitting. I heard Russell Crowe and road rage and was instantly intrigued. A year later, I decided to see what the fuss was all about and I’m so glad I gave it a shot. It’s part Duel, part 90’s insane thriller, part Falling Down, and I loved it.
What The Film Is About (Non-Spoiler):
A young mother honks at a man who is having a very bad day. He decides to show her the true meaning of a bad day.
What I Liked About It:
-The cinematography is amazing, especially early on. The film crew did an amazing job at making all of the traffic scenes feel claustrophobic, chaotic, and frustrating. They also did an amazing job at making Crowe’s character’s truck seem three times bigger than it actually was and it almost came across as a monster in itself. It was quite impressive!
-The script does a fantastic job at creating empathy and mixed emotions for both characters, at least very early on. Your feelings about the characters evolve throughout the film and it’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
-As messed up as Russell Crowe’s character is, he’s relatable. He’s also very realistic, both which are scary.
-There are some serious “Oh shit did that just happen” moments in this film and it turns into a horror film in the second half for sure.
-The script is very smart. Every time you think of a simple solution to the stalking, the protagonist does it. It was very rewarding to not feel like an idiot.
What I Didn’t Like About It:
-Honestly, nothing. I enjoyed this film from start to finish.
Additional Notes:
-Russell Crowe wore a fat suit.
Rating:
Unhinged is a simple movie: a woman pisses off the wrong guy on the wrong day. Without finesse, this could have been a very campy Lifetime movie. Instead, all of the characters brought their A game and Russell Crowe went all out. The filmmakers used the camera incredible to create tension and the script created substance so that all of the characters felt real and grounded.
I rate Unhinged a four out of five and say rent it.
