Unhinged

Starring Russell Crowe as Tom Cooper, a man whose life has spiraled out of control, Unhinged follows Rachel Flynn, a single mother played by Caren Pistorius, who has a tense encounter with Tom during a bout of road rage. This seemingly minor altercation escalates into a terrifying ordeal as Tom, driven by a desire for vengeance, begins to relentlessly pursue Rachel and her loved ones.

Unhinged Review

It has some unrefined edges, with characters occasionally acting stupidly so that its uncomplicated plot can continue, and there are a couple of performances from actors playing tertiary roles that aren’t quite up to the task. However, thanks to Russell Crowe’s flawless performance and a supporting lead who puts in the work and does a respectable job of holding her own against him, as well as tightly focused direction, incredible pacing, and some excellent cinematography, Unhinged is the best thriller that you’ve never seen.

Originally released in theaters in 2020, with COVID hysteria ruining as many lives or more than the disease itself, Unhinged barely made enough at the box office to pay for its production costs and fell well short of breaking even. Yet, like the mythical phoenix, it has risen from the ashes of obscurity to live again on Netflix. In fact, over the last few days, it has become the number one most-viewed movie on the streaming app.

Be under no illusions, Unhinged’s story is virtually non-existent, but the thrills never stop, and Russell Crowe will remind you why he was such a big deal in the early 2000s. If you’ve got some time this week and someone special to share it with, you can’t pick a much better movie to Netflix and chill. We’re happy to recommend it as Worth it.

WOKE REPORT

A Single Turd in The Punchbowl

• During the opening credits, there’s a series of news stories, and in one, the talking head says that “inequality is pushing us further and further apart.” This is the only causal speculation given in the two-minute-long sequence. All the others are iterations of exposition relating to the audience that tensions in America are rising.