Review of Side Effects (2013) by Chris W — 04 Sep 2013

In what is possibly be one of the last projects from the prolific Steven Soderbergh (at least for a while), we get a high caliber thriller that ranks as one of the better Hitchcockian homages in quite some time.

Martin is a recently paroled white collar criminal whose wife Emily is struggling with anxiety and depression in the wake of his release. Her psychiatrist Dr. Banks prescribes her a new experimental drug, but not long after, things fall apart when the drug is revealed to have some shocking and unexpected side effects.

For about the first oh, 40 minutes or so, it seems as if Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns really have some issues with the pharmaceutical industry, as this kinda comes off as some sort of horrifying anti-pill propaganda. But then, the film takes a radical shift and turns into a thriller of a different kind.

I'm deliberately being vague, as part of the fun is experiencing this sharp and taut caper for yourself. It gets pretty twisty and turny, and some may not take well to the shift in direction, but it's not jarring enough to completely derail things. At least I didn't think so.

It's got the style we've come to expect from Soderbergh, and it is quite an effective and engaging film. The cinematography, editing, and music fit the proceedings quite well, and there's some great sequences here, one in particular that is incredibly potent.

The cast are well picked, and their performances are quite strong. Channing Tatum is quite decent and believable as Martin, Jude Law is solid as Dr. Banks, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is quite good as Emily's former psychiatrist Dr. Siebert. The real highlight here is Rooney Mara as Emily. She's got a tough role, but she pulls it off quite well.

I said the film is pretty sharp, but I must admit that it is a bit of a slow burner at first, and the twists and turns are a bit *ahem* hard to swallow, but if you can keep an open mind, suspend some belief, and be willing to accept what the film throws at you, then you'll probably have a pretty good time.