Movie Breakdown: Unhinged

Pre-Screening Stance:

If it were any other year, I think it’s possible that there would have been some buzz about Russell Crowe playing a villain in a trashy-looking B-movie. However, considering the current state of things, Unhinged feels entirely like a film that no asked for.

Post-Screening Ramble:

The first thing that needs to be addressed in Unhinged is its largest distraction – Russell Crowe. How in the hell is this the same guy that once portrayed the mighty Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator? His riddled-with-road-rage character here is an obese man with bad hair, a weird Southern-ish accent and a lot of sweat. It’s very much not a good look for Crowe, and the worst part of it is that he doesn’t at all seem to be having any sort of fun with the role.

As for the rest of the movie, there’s not really all that much to it. A woman (Caren Pistorius) having a bad day honks at a guy who is having a bad life, and that sets off a variety of events that never really make much sense or even seem all that plausible. It’s not scary or entertaining, nor does it provide any sort of insight or legit commentary on the angry streets that it seems to be so afraid of. Maybe if the movie had done one of these things it would have been at least slightly memorable, but as it stands, it’s just a big ball of cynicism that makes for an entirely exhausting experience (even with just a barely 90-minute runtime).

This one is a rough ride that you in no way need to endure. Skip!

One Last Thought:

If your movie revolves around a bad guy doing bad things in a vehicle, it is of the utmost importance that said bad guy drives something badass. Crowe sports a standard Ford truck (that’s not even black, it’s gray) here, and it’s beyond lame.