Unhinged

At this moment in time we all find ourselves in, going to the movies is more than a mere novelty, its a genuine treat, so in that way we can be thankful for Unhinged that opened in Australian cinema's this week.

Lathered in a hearty dose of Falling Down, a little bit of Duel and a lot of very angry Russell Crowe (more diabetic angry Kernel Sanders than Maximus), there's nothing new or even particularly great about Derrick Borte's grim thriller, but it does do exactly as what was promised in all the promotions for this grizzly affair, that sees Crowe go into full meltdown mode against Caren Pistorius's unsuspecting mother Rachel in a road rage incident that will make you think twice about beeping the horn next time you're on the road.

Originally supposed to be the film that heralded in the return to cinema complexes in America at the start of July, Derrick Borte's topically examination of the rage that is bubbling away within society at this present time, whether its from hour long traffic jams, relationship breakdowns or the mistrust in the "system" is far from nuanced or balanced but this simplistic and over the top thriller does provide enough thrills and spills to keep us invested throughout and offers Crowe one of his funnest roles in years.

Not often found playing the downright bad guy, Crowe is at his menacing best as the unnamed man haunting Rachel's day, that goes from bad to worse very quickly after running into him on the road on the way to the school drop off, from the moment we watch him commit a brazen act of violence in the films opening scene to the the mere look he gives through the window of a car, Crowe is chewing up the scenery at every chance he gets and it makes watching Unhinged a guilty good time.

It must be noted that outside of being extremely far-fetched (as is often the case with such films) and playing out in a fashion that is typical of this sub-genre of thriller's, Unhinged is frequently unpleasant.

There's barely a moment of respite from the horrors occurring throughout and if your blood pressure was high before going into a screening of the film it would go through the roof by the time the film is done with you, as while its well-staged and performed, there's an oppressive bleakness seeping through the entirety of Borte's film, making it one to watch when your up for such a grim and grimy affair.

Final Say -

Charged forward by a snarling and frightening Russell Crowe, Unhinged is a polished thriller that achieves exactly what it promises to do, nothing more and nothing less.

3 Fortnite strategies out of 5

Let's just start off with this, It Is A Movie.

It just kills me when people carry on about believability when watching a fast paced action thriller. What are the odds of someone living through something like this vouching for the realities of the situation? In all honesty, most of us like to think we know what we would do but is there a chance that the pressure, fear and self preservation of the moment could alter our decision making skills? I think it could and I chose to look at films like this with that in mind. These were the decisions they made in the moment and only the absolutely absurd should fall into a category of unrealistic.

I liked this. Russell Crowe was fantastic in his portrayal of a fed up lunatic. He really did a great job. I thought the story could have benefited with a bit more backstory on the characters but it was decent. The action scenes were well choreographed and the special effects were nicely done. It was a tense ride for sure and it got pretty brutal at times. I'm a horror buff so that is right up my alley but I read a review that described it as torture porn and it's not that bad unless you are a total lightweight.

I know this will be a film I watch more than once. Forget the review snobs and check it out for yourself.

I can't tell you how many times I wanted to leave the theater because of her stupidity, but it's definitely what the movie was going for. God bless her son though.

I hadn't seen a trailer or heard anything about this movie when I saw it, and I was pleasantly surprised, I wasn't expecting a horror movie. This movie isn't perfect, it's not even very original, but it's a very serviceable horror movie, good intense car action. Characters are alright but the gladiator guy is the best part. Makes me think twice about honking at people

You will never flip the bird to another driver again once you've seen "Unhinged". This is the most intense road rage movie since Spielberg's "Duel" in the 70's with the pressures of life, marriage and death at its core. Except the Truck is now just a Ford Pick Up with no discernible logos. Obviously the Blue Oval didn't want to pay for product placement...it is an older model like its manic driver played by Russell Crowe. This man can happen to anyone. He only picks one project each year, but he chooses well. His body of work speaks for itself. His co-star Carin Pistorius moved to New Zealand as a child from South Africa and she brings a gritty, real performance to the big screen. She also delivers the best action movie heroine line for 2020. Veteran horror child actor, Gabriel Bateman, hold his own as her on screen son, Kyle. This movie is adrenaline charged from the moment the curtain opens and rarely takes it foot off the pedal. The road carnage and Rustys salary make up most of the 33 million dollar budget, but its investors will be making money off this film and buying many more new cars in the years ahead. This is Crowe at his best and most threatening study of pure menace under Derrick Bortes direction.