Unthinkable - Dark, depressing and depraved (yet actually quite good)

It’s fair to say that ‘Unthinkable’ is NOT a ‘feel-good’ movie.  The film deals with what many (Americans?) would say is an ‘unthinkable’ situation, where a trusted American citizen who’s been born and bred to love their country, ‘defects’ to ‘the enemy’ and places nuclear devices around the country in the name of a world religion.

However, all is not lost, for the powers that be have already captured the offender (Martin Sheen) and he’s been placed in a secure (and totally off-the-grid) facility where Samuel L Jackson and Carrie Moss must extract the information they need before the bombs go off.  It’s fair to say that Samuel and Carrie go about this in vastly different ways.

Unthinkable was never going to be a hit.  It’s too dark and deals with issues of modern life (and politics/religion) that many will not find easy to address.  However, perhaps its lack of social niceties actually makes it all the more worth viewing.  And it’s uncomfortable viewing at that.  Those with a strong stomach may well not want to watch the ways Samuel L Jackson tries to get the information out of Martin Sheen.  In some respects it’s almost a ‘torture porn’ film.

It’s a thriller with little actual thrills, but plenty of tension.  If you’re a fan of political thrillers (and aren’t too squeamish) then Unthinkable is a safe bet.  All three of the leading actors play their parts well, especially Martin Sheen, who has the unfortunate job of being constantly on the receiving end of Samuel L Jackson’s various implements of torture for the best part of ninety minutes.  Plus it raises the issues of how far we should go to save the many.  After watching Unthinkable, I’m reminded of the quote Spock used in ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.’ He said, ‘The needs of the many out way the needs of the few (or the one).’  That theory is really pushed to the limits here.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one