An apology can go a long way, and that couldn’t be more true in Unhinged – a road-raging pulp thriller whose thoughts on society and misogyny are told through a wacko behind the wheel. It’s a wild and bumpy ride with some definite eye-rolling and shaking of the head going on. Still, if a terrifying Russell Crowe and sheer mayhem is what you crave, then you best buckle up. From the opening scene, director Derrick Borte quickly introduces the violent nature in which he’s working in as the guy Crowe embodies makes an early morning visit to his ex-wife. It’s startling to see and he’s just getting started.
Rachel (Caren Pistorius) isn’t having a good day. She’s woken up by a call about her divorce, she’s running late to get her son Kyle (Gabriel Bateman) to school – who is one tardy away from detention – and she’s going to miss her appointment with her best client…again. Her decision to take the highway will be one she’ll wish she could take back. Her day is about to get a whole hell of a lot worse. A run-in at a stop light and the lack of a courtesy tap puts Crowe and Rachel on a grisly collision course where casualties will be left by the wayside.
Unhinged isn’t the smartest nor the most sensible or subtle, but it gets by on Crowe’s maniacal performance and the wreckage he leaves behind. The villain he plays is an untamed grizzly bear, dressed in a button-up shirt and khakis, on the hunt, and ready to tear those who get in his way to shreds. Crowe is ferocious with an unmatched intensity. His stare alone could make you shit your pants.
The best way to enjoy this brute B-movie is by embracing Crowe gone crazy. Although if you don’t, you will at least seriously think about the next time you decide to honk the horn at someone.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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