Unthinkable (2010)
2010
R
97 Minutes
A convert to Islam sends the U.S. government a tape showing him in three nondescript storage rooms, each of which may contain a nuclear bomb set to detonate in less than a week. Helen Brody, an FBI...
User Review
-
Unthinkable raises a thrilling moral dilemma that concludes unsatisfactorily. When given the impossible task of interrogating a terrorist who has hidden three nuclear bombs in major cities, all of which are due to explode within a couple of days, well safe to say morals and ethics are tossed out of the window. That's exactly what Unthinkable questions. Does the unethical torture of one terrorist outweigh the possible loss of innocent lives? Who's the real villain? It explores the morality of what is right and wrong within this unfortunate situation, with Moss's professional FBI agent situating herself on the opposite side to Jackson's brutal interrogator.
The two consistently bash heads spouting various arguments, but with just a ninety minute runtime it still felt dragged out. Mostly because the plot stalls on multiple occasions in order to repeat its exercise in morality. A torture scene is then followed by questioning which ultimately fails, leading to increased brutality. It was mostly effective at giving thrills, and the basic dialogue (as obvious as it was) will certainly raise discussions amongst audiences, blending the torture sub-genre with a timely crime investigation. Moss gives a fine performance, as does Sheen who occasionally overacts whilst screaming down the building. However this is Jackson's show, who steals every scene with just a gaze. He has this unorthodox power against the supporting characters that makes him a commanding presence.
A few plot details and character choices, namely involving certain family members, did lead me to question the legitimacy and believability of specific scenarios. Yet the biggest issue is its underwhelming conclusion. Without giving any details away, let's just say that the story wraps up incredibly quickly with a few eye-rolling moments. It culminates to an absolute mess, especially as various military officials are involved who should've contained the matter almost immediately. Whilst it does come across as a TV film and contains a fair few flaws, Unthinkable is a little hidden gem that offers an interesting argument. Check it out.1 member likes this review.
