Unhinged – A Dumb Fun Campy Thriller

Originally set to the be the film to open theatres in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the world, Unhinged is finally among us (though it may not be opening theatres in many countries anymore). Ever since that news was announced, it was always a peculiar choice but nevertheless, it’s a type of film that was never going to be for everyone to begin with and that’s okay (it doesn’t have to be). On the surface, the film is a simple one though just don’t expect any kind of depth whatsoever or logic for that matter. While it may be big, loud, tense, and very crashy, it’s also an incredibly dumb, roughly 90 minute thrill ride that still manages to be entertaining in spite of its many flaws. For some audiences, that will be enough. In the end, the film doesn’t try to be anything more than it is and that is admirable. It’s this level of self-awareness that makes the film a decent watch at the end of the day, maybe just not one to flock to the theatres to.

Those who have seen any of the film’s promotional material (or those who have seen any kind of film) can for the most part figure out how it goes but for the rest, Unhinged follows a single mother named Rachel (Pistorious) whose bad day would suddenly get worse after an unsavoury encounter with a man (Crowe) at a traffic light. Little did she know (because obviously), she would become the target of his rage. He set out to make her an unwitting example and teach her a lesson as part of a crusade that will most certainly be contentious for some audiences. The circumstances leading to that point didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things for the most part as the film became a cat and mouse game between Rachel and the unnamed man. Meanwhile, the man would go to some dark lengths in the pursuit of his crusade, leaving plenty of violence and destruction in its wake as well as questionable leaps in logic and mediocre special effects that only added to the film’s camp value (though the latter could be mostly attributed to the budget).

The man’s despicable actions are merely an exercise in empty depravity that the film fails to root it in anything in a satisfying way other than hinting at that he has been through some things (more or less leading to where he was). Ultimately, his actions needed to be grounded in something and Rachel does an adequate job at being at the center of it all and reacting to all the craziness. The way their back and forth plays out was fairly predictable and shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone, however despite that, it was still exciting to watch. Let’s face it, the main attraction of Unhinged is the unhinged performance of Russell Crowe and for that, he does not disappoint. He fully commits to the campy nature of the character and could be truly menacing at times though the cheesy dialog tempered it to a certain degree. Crowe’s chemistry with Pistorious was also solid as Rachel, serving as a decent foil. She was arguably just a means to drive the story from predictable set piece to predictable set piece, however, her charisma still made her compelling to watch in spite of that.

Overall, Unhinged won’t be winning any awards but those who can get look past the subject matter and are looking for a mindless watch will be treated to a decent time.

still courtesy of VVS Films

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook. Also subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.