Unsane (2018)

Unsane is the kind of thriller that grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go, turning everyday spaces into traps and uncertainty into a weapon. Steven Soderbergh’s iPhone cinematography isn’t a gimmick here—it creates a harsh, intimate immediacy that makes every hallway feel too narrow and every glance feel loaded, like you’re stuck in the room with the fear. Anchoring it all is Claire Foy, giving a raw, fiercely committed performance that keeps the film grounded even as it tightens the screws. It’s an intensely claustrophobic, unsettling ride—more nerve and paranoia than gore—so if you like your horror to feel uncomfortably plausible, this one will linger.

Unsane is aiming for a claustrophobic, paranoia-soaked thriller about powerlessness and being disbelieved, and it does land some genuinely tense moments thanks to a committed lead performance and an intentionally raw, stripped-down look. The problem is the story doesn’t always earn its shocks: the plot can feel uneven and occasionally illogical, especially as it barrels toward a final act that many will find rushed and unsatisfying. Dialogue and character choices sometimes come off more like convenient moves to keep the premise going than believable behavior. If you like lean, anxiety-driven thrillers and can forgive narrative wobble for atmosphere, you’ll get something out of it; if you need tight logic and a strong payoff, this may just frustrate you.