j* movie reviews 2020

Unhinged (2020)

Some rather realistic ultra-violence.

It is interesting how we, as an audience, can happily watch whole cities blown away by superheroes and their nemesis. But this film sets its sights close to home and is uncomfortable viewing. It feels perhaps, like a home invasion film, except played more for the sheer reality than the horror. The only thing I can remember seeing that gives me similar vibes is Panic Room (2002). Except Unhinged doesn't take place in just one house, it takes place on the streets of our town.

The trailer does pretty much give everything away. A mum beeps her horn a bit too enthusiastically and a guy who is already on edge starts to road rage her. This involves following her, stealing her phone and taunting her with threats and actualised violence against her friends and family. The violence is particularly gritty, even more so when it involves a car crash, and there are a lot of car crashes. They're not the big, pretty artistic car crashes, but rather quite real. There is a sense of non-survival in their heavy impacts and debris shedding.

The main Mum and Son act are very believable as the followed pair. All characters get a smidgen of backstory to establish their characters a little bit more clearly, but as some have noted, maybe not enough to really make them sympathetic characters. This film does live in the horrible sense of the now, which is where all the action is taking place.

There are plenty of horrible things to trigger all sorts of people - whilst it claims it is "thriller" it is particularly brutal. Even the opening sequence about the stresses of modern life will put some on edge. It's a short film that feels like a never-ending chase sequence.

If you're looking for a brutal road rage flick it certainly delivers. As a casual movie goer it lacks something above that to make it great viewing.

J* gives it 3 stars.