(written by Carl Ellsworth / directed by Derrick Borte)
Rachel is having a bad day. She is getting a divorce. She lost her salon. Her brother and his girlfriend have moved in with Rachel and her son. Thanks to horrible traffic, her son will get detention for being tardy three days in a row and a client fired her.
No wonder she vigorously honks her horn and angrily drives around a man refusing to go at a green light. Unknown to her, Rachel has just incurred the wrath of a severely unhinged man who has nothing to lose. He makes it his mission to show Rachel the real meaning of a bad day in a rage that goes beyond the road.
Just when I thought FANTASY ISLAND was going to be the last new film I would see in the theater, along comes UNHINGED. A local librarian recommended this 2020 film because it was new and because she was surprised by how much she enjoyed it. So, I attended a Thursday night screening. Before you call me brave or crazy for risking my life during a pandemic, I was the only one in the auditorium. Social distancing has rarely been so easy.
Sitting all the way to the left in the back row, the perfect vantage point with my Mad Scientist Glasses, I experienced a disturbingly suspenseful ride. Have you recently honked, yelled or flipped off a driver? It's 2020 and the world is on edge, which makes UNHINGED a perfect film for these chaotic times. Honestly, it almost makes me glad I can't drive anymore.
Caren Pistorius is believable as Rachel. Even my half-blind eyes could see the love she has for her son while dealing with the stress of life and extreme road rage. Russell Crowe is convincingly unsettling as the man gone over the edge. If I hadn't known it was him, I would not have recognized him. The other actors are good, but this film belongs to Pistorius and Crowe.
One question remains. Did I enjoy UNHINGED because it's an entertaining popcorn thriller or because it was something new? I believe I legitimately enjoyed UNHINGED because I would watch it again. FOOTLOOSE, for example, was "new" to me this year and once was more than enough.
In conclusion, if you are hungry for something with a kick that's actually new, then take what precautions you need and drive calmly to a theater near you and see UNHINGED!
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. In case you missed my visit to FANTASY ISLAND...
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