Movie review: Unsane

WHAT makes this movie so hair-raisingly creepy is the possibility of the plot actually taking place in real life, as director Soderbergh plays with our psychological fears – and all that shot on an iPhone 7 Plus too.
This thriller starts off innocently enough, with a man reciting lovestruck words, until the story unfolds a bit more and you realise it’s not that simple.
The film revolves around Sawyer Valentini (Foy), who has a sickening history of being stalked and has never quite recovered from the ordeal, even after moving to a different state.
She acknowledges the problem and seeks professional help but, unfortunately for her, she picks a corrupt institution that only escalates her living nightmare.
Held against her will, she eventually meets up with undercover reporter Nate Hoffman (Pharoah), who is there under the pretence of an opium addiction.
Meanwhile, her relentless stalker, David Strine (Leonard), catches up with her in his misguided attempt at showing his love.
He is letting nothing stand in his way to be with her, not even Sawyer’a mother, Angela (Amy Irving).
Considering the way the movie was shot, Soderbergh uses a lot of close-up shots of Foy, which captures her character’s state of mind as it dances between the line of being sane and insane.
You know everything around you is real, but when that reality is challenged, questioning your sanity is likely to be higher up on the fear factor, like a bogeyman terrorising your own thoughts.
Unsane manages to evoke that unnerving feeling of helplessness, and how manic obsession is never a good thing.