Movie review: Unhinged

 Unhinged is a story about something familiar to most everyone; road rage. Rachel has an encounter with an unstable man while driving her car. Little does she know his life is in disarray and he is about to focus all his rage upon her, her family, and her friends.

Russell Crowe (Man), Caren Pistorius (Rachel), Gabriel Bateman (Kyle), Jimmi Simpson (Andy), Austin McKenzie (Fred), Juliene Joyner (Mary), Stephen Grush (Leo), Anne Leighton (Deborah).

Unhinged begins much like road rage does; as an unexpected spark of emotion. The film is quickly off and running with Rachel apparently being stalked after a brief encounter with another driver. Before long stalking turns to assault as the man Rachel encountered becomes unhinged, targeting her family and friends. The rest of the film is a cat and mouse action adventure culminating in an ending that while not surprising, feels inauthentic.

Acting was par for the course from Crowe, though a few more pounds and action hero will become a difficult role to sell. Pistorius was pretty good with solid emotion and good delivery. Bateman did a decent job, as did Joyner and Simpson. The remainder of the supporting cast was solid and enjoyable.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are good with a realistic feel. Action scenes and effects were fitting for the film and reasonable with decent attention to detail. Dialogue was enjoyable and moved the plot along fairly well. Sound and soundtrack are solid.

Overall Unhinged is an okay action thriller on topic explored so well by other films this one is hard to distinguish. The acting and technical work is good, and the film is entertaining, though I think there are better choices on the exact topic. Crowe fans may enjoy this more than others.

With some graphic violence and foul language, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2020
Reviewed: 4.12.21
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime, Suspense

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