Unsane

"Is she or isn't she?"

2018 1h 38m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 1,722

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she is confronted by her greatest fear.

“Is she or isn't she?”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Claire Foy
Sawyer Valentini
Joshua Leonard
David Strine
Jay Pharoah
Nate Hoffman
Juno Temple
Violet
Aimee Mullins
Ashley Brighterhouse
Amy Irving
Angela Valentini
Sarah Stiles
Jill
Marc Kudisch
Bank Manager

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 9.5× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, shot by Steven Soderbergh. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Wilder Savage. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Steven Soderbergh shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Claire Foy and Joshua Leonard and Jay Pharoah carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Is she or isn't she?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steven Soderbergh directs. Steven Soderbergh behind the camera. David Wilder Savage scores. Steven Soderbergh cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 9.5× over at the box office.
3Released 8 years ago.
4Directed by Steven Soderbergh, shot by Steven Soderbergh. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by David Wilder Savage. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Steven Soderbergh shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Claire Foy and Joshua Leonard and Jay Pharoah carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Is she or isn't she?".
9IMDB entry: tt7153766 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Steven Soderbergh
Original score: David Wilder Savage
Editing: Steven Soderbergh
Production design: April Lasky
Costume design: Susan Lyall
Makeup / hair: Lisa Forst
VFX supervisor: Lesley Robson-Foster
Sound: Grant Elder
Stunt coordinator: Manny Siverio
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,500,000
Box office: $14,293,601
Return: 953% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Unsane (2018)

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Steven Soderbergh

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-03-27
★ 6/10
Divisive Dilemas. Have to be honest, I had no idea this was filmed on an iPhone 7 or that it was directed by Steven Soderbergh. I was stuck for something to watch on cable the other night and I liked the sound of the plot premise. So unburdened by expectation of a searing horror classic I settled in to see what unfolds. Plot has Claire Foy as Sawyer Valentini who inadvertently commits herself to a mental health institution. Once inside things being to unravel and the threat of her one time stalker now being even close to her opens up the book of terror - but is it real? Firstly you have to say that the mental health authorities must have had kittens when they saw this, much of what is on screen is utterly ridiculous and paints the system in a damning light. Secondly you really have to jump on board with the improbability of it all, this really is made for dramatic entertainment purpose and not as a viable horror of the real world. As a thriller it worked for me, the constant question of what is real or not keeps things on the slow burn. Either way, real or not, it's thought provoking enough to warrant staying till pics end. The psychological angle is pungent enough to say there's some thought in the writing, though this is undone by utter nonsense as things spiral into the impossible for the final quarter of film. Foy is good value up front and the fulcrum of it all, while elsewhere good work comes from Nate Hoffman and it's nice to see Juno Temple in a spicy role. Ultimately this is no blood letting horror picture, and certainly it's no One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Girl Interrupted etc etc. The iPhone experiment is a gimmick that works here due to the confines of the location for story, but as a genre piece of worth it is unlikely to have legs. However, even though I enjoyed this as a one time only viewing experience, I perfectly understand why it has become divisive. So for those who haven't seen it yet then it is advised you understand this is no terrifying thrill a minute piece. It's tricky to recommend with any sort of confidence, and thus I feel the internet ratings of about 6.5/10 is just about right. 6.5/10
Gimly2020-08-12
★ 5/10
Every time Claire Foy is not on the screen, the calibre of acting in Unsane drops to laughable. I'm glad that Soderbergh is able to put together films for the seven-figure price range, but the fact of the matter is that the camera on an iPhone just isn't that good. It's decent enough to (in most scenes) get the visuals across, but never decent enough to not be a distraction. Unsane's tale is relatively well told, but also something that's been done before, and considering the man in the director's chair, something that probably should have been done better too. Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole.
Dr Nostromo2026-06-04
★ 7/10
69/100 A stalking victim seeks counseling and inadvertently commits herself into a mental institution. The more she tries to convince them she's sane, the worse it gets. Then she starts seeing her stalker. This film works really well at placing the viewer in this situation and filling them with a sense of dread and despair. That feeling of helplessness is palpable as the situation becomes more complicated and dire. Of course, that's what makes the ending all the more rewarding, doesn't it? Well made film and Claire Foy is awesome. -- DrNostromo.com