TIFF 2022: Sanctuary Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Director Zachary Wigon’s latest feature, Sanctuary, is a dazzlingly hilarious erotic thriller starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. Wigon’s film is sharp, funny, and continuously entertaining and the back-and-forth banter between them is hilarious. The writing and the performances from Qualley and Abbott as well as their chemistry are key to the film’s success. With so little going on in terms of moving parts, it only highlights the importance of the other elements in what is essentially a one location film.

Sanctuary follows Rebecca (Qualley), a dominatrix whose client, Hal (Abbott), is the heir to a multi-million-dollar fortune. Hal wants out of his arrangement with Rebecca. However, she is not ready to let him go. From there, the two spiral deeper and deeper into a state of desperation with Hal desperate to find a way to get Rebecca to end their arrangement and Rebecca desperate to get her dues from Hal. They go back and forth all night long which is electric to watch unfold as both Qualley and Abbott give it their all. They deliver two of the most entertaining performances in recent memory while their chemistry is perfect. The way they play off each other is clever as both are seemingly so locked into their performance and are in-tune with the other. They deliver tension, wit, and continuous laughs throughout. 

One of the most welcomed aspects of Sanctuary is how the film is shot. Set in one location, it could have been rather dull in its presentation. The hotel room setting is huge but it’s no traditional suite as it features a ton of space for the actors to chew up the scenery. The cinematography is incredibly interesting as it unfolds in such a way that really lends to its progression. The film features so many unique shots that keep things fresh and interesting, and with that, director of photography Ludovica Isidori is definitely the MVP.

For such a simple story, there are so many shocks and twists within Rebecca and Hal’s back and forth that audiences can’t help but stay locked in for the entirety of its 90+ minute runtime. While Sanctuary is not a long film, and some may argue that it could have been better suited as a short film, there is so much sustained tension that it keeps it exciting throughout.

The perfect chemistry between Qualley and Abbott helps to elevate a film that is shot with a vision, and written with a purpose. Sanctuary is sharp in its dialogue and is never not a fun time. With continuous twists and turns, Sanctuary is one of the best one-location films birthed out of the COVID era. The film plays with its environment and leaves no moment irrelevant, resulting in one of the most clever, and funniest features at this year’s festival. 

*still courtesy of TIFF*

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Brennan Dubé

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