Unsane (2018)

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Stars: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharaoh
Runtime: 98 minutes

Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 6/10
Special Effects: N.A. 
Costumes/Makeup: 7/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 5/10 

Verdict: Sawyer Valentini's life gets turned upside down when she is admitted to a mental institution against her will in  Steven Soderbergh's latest project.

"Unsane" is a film I've been looking for since it was announced. The fact that it was starring everyone's favorite queen and was directed by a filmmaker known for being experimental only added to my anticipation.

The lead actress did not disappoint in the least. Claire Foy displayed her acting range and proved once and for all that her talent is real. The rest of the cast was also great, and I can't say that there were any bad performances despite the fact that the film took place in a mental institute, which sometimes drives actors to butcher their characters by overacting. The problems I had with the film came from both the pretty straightforward story, and the experimental nature of it, which I don't think worked quite as well as Soderbergh wanted it to. Just like Sean Baker's "Tangerine", it was shot in its entirety on an iPhone, but I never felt that this decision elevated the movie in any way. Some editing techniques and song choices were also questionable in my opinion, making the movie look ridiculous at times.

"Unsane", in the end, was unsatisfying (forgive the pun) and ultimately held back by debatable filmmaking choices and a safe narrative. I'd recommend staying home and watching "Shutter Island" or "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" instead.      

Final Grade: 6/10