Review of Unsane (2018) by Wayne K — 04 Sep 2018

Steven Soderbergh continues his comeback trail with Unsane, a film shot entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus. That might sound like a cheap gimmick that anybody could have exploited, but the director uses it to terrific effect.

The film is not, as you might gather from the title and poster, about mental health or even insanity. Instead, it's a tale of deep obsession and the lengths a person will go to to have what they want most, and even feel they're are entitled to.

Clair Foy is a woman trapped in a shady mental health clinic because of an insurance scam, and forced to spend at least a week there among unstable fellow patients and volatile staff members who may be even worse.

Using an iPhone to film the actors gives the film a gritty, lower quality aesthetic, and it suits the stalkeresque atmosphere perfectly. It always looks like the lead is being followed, never safe even when she feels most secure.

It might not be the most profound story, and the stalker tale has been done plenty of times before, but it keeps you invested and constantly guessing, as our heroine falls down the proverbial rabbit hole, searching desperately for light at the end.