Unhinged

Russell Crowe returns to the big screen in “Unhinged.” Playing exclusively in theaters, “Unhinged” is being repeatedly heralded as one of the first pandemic-era releases not to also be concurrently available on video on demand (VOD). While that fact may, potentially, of great use for future trivia domination, “Unhinged” leaves little else for the audience to remember.

Crowe, as “The Man,” has, indeed, become unhinged somewhere deep in “America’s Heartland.” The film begins joltingly with The Man’s brutal killing of his ex and her new partner before he lights their home ablaze. Not too long after, Rachel (Caren Pistorius), a harried, soon-to-be-divorced, single mom of a tween is speedily en route to a late school drop-off. She happens to come across a dazed The Man, who sits through multiple green lights, seemingly zoned out in his giant truck. Frazzled Rachel, already fed up with financial woes, her mooching brother, and a divorce battle with her ex, leans on her horn and speeds around the killer. Her impatient actions lead her to be marked by The Man as someone who sees him as meaningless. In retribution, he begins cruelly and ruthlessly killing as many Rachel’s friends, family, and acquaintances that he can to fully isolate and savagely punish her for remorselessness.

The 90-minute-long “Unhinged” is a B-movie retribution film that rehashes the same kind innocent-woman-is-targeted-and-emotionally-tortured banality produced forevermore. Crowe’s performance is actually quite strong, but he just cannot outweigh the heartlessness of much of the film. “Unhinged,” ultimately, has no character to root for, as the protagonist, Rachel, seems so full of bad decision making and self-involvement, that the audience may feel little connection with her.

Upon deeper inspection, “Unhinged” may be trying to say something more about the isolationist nature of modern society and the lack of connection and empathy many, like the Man, have developed as a result of being ignored. But, “Unhinged” never really approaches clarity, exchanging the barbarous cruelty of repeated murders for much-needed character exposition. Unfortunately, “Unhinged” likely won’t be the movie that brings audiences back to theaters.

Rated R, “Unhinged” is not recommended.