2020 has been a difficult and unsettling year to say the least. The devastation of COVID-19 has unquestionably left millions across the globe in a state of disarray. Hollywood has certainly not been unscathed by this, and as a result, we’re approaching August with a drought of cinematic content that has lasted the best part of six months. Now, with audiences well and truly dry of big screen entertainment, the film industry is slowly beginning to open its gates once again. First out of it, is a slightly bizarre film, starring former Gladiator Russell Crowe in Unhinged.
If your first concern is the release of an inappropriately violent and gritty thriller, given the current state of the world, then you would be correct in that forward thinking consideration. The film follows a young mother (Caren Pistorius) who is stalked by an, you guessed it, unhinged stranger (Russell Crowe) after a road rage confrontation at a set of traffic lights. The film opens with a savage and shocking sequence of violence from Crowe’s character, before jumping into a credits montage with a lot to get off its chest.
The plot relies heavily on placing the blame towards technology and social media for any problems our society is facing. While this isn’t completely unfounded, and unquestionably a current topic for debate, it fails to say anything that hasn’t been said already. Over-reliance on this contrived narrative theme actually hinders the film more than it helps it. Ultimately leaving it as something with lots to say, but few creative ways to communicate it.
Pistorius and her on-screen son (Gabriel Bateman) easily convince viewers of their chemistry and shared-turmoil, making it at least easy to care about their outcome by the time the credits roll. Crowe meanwhile, is nearly-unrecognisable in this transformative role as the titular road-raged psychopath. Crowe delivers an undeniably terrifying performance. When compared with say, Inspector Javert, or Superman’s dear old dad, this may come as a shocker. But, it’s easily the most shocking thing about this film in an otherwise predictable thriller. Cinematic thrill seekers will get a temporary fix from the competent action sequences on display, but its rewatchability factor is lacking.
That’s not to say that there aren’t promising elements of quality interwoven here and there. But, Unhinged seems incredibly quick to run these over in favour of a silly, unimaginative slasher film, with an impossibly invulnerable antagonist to boot. Even the pulse-pounding national manhunt the third act devolves into, is completely hamstrung by implausibility thanks to its frequent reminders that technology can find us wherever we are. This may not be the ideal return to movie theatres some had hoped for, but if you want to see Crowe rant about good manners, before later breaking someone’s nose with a coffee mug, then this might just be for you.
Unhinged is out in UK cinemas now and will be released in the United States on August 21, 2020.
Unhinged
Summary
Unhinged may not be the ideal return to movie theatres some had hoped for, but if you want to see Crowe rant about good manners, before later breaking someone’s nose with a coffee mug, then this might just be for you.
