Diary entries forUnsane
Unsane
"Or maybe it's all in my head." Follows the typical formula of gaslighting/paranoia thrillers, where every plot beat switches between what's real and what's imagined, here we have a setup akin to a modern One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: where our protagonist is an (un)deniably sane patient among "the crazies." I feel I don't have to explain how dated and ableist this is. However, Unsane attempts to have its cake and eat it too, with Sawyer both correct in her conclusion that her stalker lied his way into the ward, while also hallucinating his face in unrelated men. Maybe with a more ambiguous script this would be more effective, but the execution feels half-baked. The iPhone cinematography, however, creates a unique feeling of claustrophobia, even if at some points the high frame rate and resolution also makes it look amateurish.
Unsane
Stephen Soderbergh never ceases to amaze. He is one of the most versatile directors that I have seen, crafting a film nearly in every genre. Taking his knack at the thriller genre, Unsane shows that he definitely can craft an amazing film from practically nothing. Shot entirely on an iPhone, this film has a very different visual aesthetic, which can take some time to get used to, but ends up being a very interesting way to tell a story. Rather than seeming like you're standing there, this iPhone technique feels like you are watching from one spot, that you are actually there, rather than someone standing outside the frame viewing it. The twists and turns all make the film worth the watch, especially in the second half of the film. It takes a concept that has been done many times before and has fun with it, creating a story that is interesting and different, while still feeling familiar. Unsane shows that Soderberg can really do anything he wants and still create a fantastic film. It's a shame that this film isn't getting much attention, it left the theater that I work at after a week. It certainly deserves to be watched more, since it's hard to come out with an original thriller like Soderberg did here.
Unsane
Biggest jumpscare was random Matt Damon.
Unsane
It’s a decent thriller flick. There were several times throughout the film were I felt my heart start to beat just a little bit faster, which for me checks all the right boxes in terms of being “good”. Cool style approach, surprisingly beautiful cinematography (it just felt so tangible, so present), intriguing story, but poor acting/dialogue and a disappointingly abrupt ending only serve to drag this movie down. Somebody please cast that guy Matt-something in more films. He is phenomenal and has a bright future ahead of him.
Unsane
Some good performances and interesting directing choices elevate the film. Is Soderbergh the best director of his generation?
Unsane
Steven Soderbergh has quietly become one of the most versatile and risk-taking directors working today (and one of my favorites)—a filmmaker less concerned with polish than with precision. He’s not chasing conventionally attractive cinematic spectacle; he’s looking for the most effective way to tell a story. Whether he’s shooting on iPhones, playing with non-linear structure, or genre-hopping like it’s a pastime, there’s always intent behind the technique. Unsane is no different. Shot entirely on an iPhone, and fully embracing the cold, clinical flatness that comes with it, Unsane traps us inside the buzzing headspace of Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy). After relocating to escape an aggressive stalker, Sawyer ends up involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital—something that begins more as a Kafkaesque nightmare and quickly spirals into something far darker. It’s a film that walks the line between thriller, horror, and social critique, sometimes haphazardly, but always with a building tension that never really stops. What makes Unsane so particularly effective isn’t just the premise—it’s how Soderbergh manages to present it all. Embracing the handheld, digital aesthetic lends the film a sort of lo-fi immediacy, a constant sense of surveillance and distortion that feels horribly claustrophobic and unnervingly close. It’s not perfect. The genre shifts are a little wobbly, and the film can’t always decide if it wants to be more of a character study or if it wants to lean in fully on its pulpy stalker thriller roots. But when it works, it works. Unsane isn’t just another experiment in Steven Soderbergh’s growing filmography—it’s a smart, nasty little film that shows just how much can be done with limited resources and sharp intent. There’s something truly exciting about watching a filmmaker this deep into his career still poking at the medium. • Watched in 2025 — Ranked (https://boxd.it/C7Jq6)
Unsane
I liked the idea initially and thought it sounded interesting and the fact that it's about gaslighting. But it's execution is just sub-par. The soundtrack and cinematography not even reaching that level. For instance, what was supposed to be one of the most intense scenes - when he kills violet and Sawyer runs away from him, that scene, for me at least, had no tension and I wasn't really invested by that point of time. Claire foy was great though. I just expected more from this movie. I'm disappointed and honestly the trailer looked better. It also low key looks like film student's movie.
Unsane
Unsane es una película inquietante y distinta, aunque su trama cae en ciertos momentos predecibles. Steven Soderbergh no entrega su mejor trabajo como director, pero sí logra crear una propuesta visual interesante, marcada por su peculiar estética y el uso del iPhone para filmarla, lo que le da un aire de realismo e inmediatez. El corto tiempo de producción se nota en algunos detalles de la ejecución, pero no opaca el gran desempeño de Claire Foy, quien sostiene la película con una interpretación intensa y convincente. Sin embargo, mientras los primeros dos actos construyen una atmósfera de paranoia efectiva, el tercer acto se estanca en clichés que restan impacto al desenlace. A pesar de esto, Unsane sigue siendo un thriller psicológico intrigante que, aunque imperfecto, resulta una experiencia inquietante y bien lograda.
Unsane
"Unsane" is Steven Soderbergh's newest film, which he shot in an iPhone 7, which can be a curse and a blessing for the movie as it can get pretty creative with the camera work but lose that cinematic quality his others films have, and while Claire Foy is brilliant in it, i was dissapointed with the way the story played out, the trailer made it seem like it was gonna be very psychological and weird but it was pretty straight forward and nothing we haven't seen, still, an entertaining thriller with great performances but one i would'nt put on the level of Soderbergh's best.
