Side Effects

Side Effects is a psychological thriller that explores the ramifications of a woman’s actions after she is prescribed an experimental anti-depressant drug. Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) plays Emily Taylor who despite being reunited with her husband (Channing Tatum) after his 4-year prison sentence, becomes severely depressed and attempts to commit suicide. Psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) agrees to release Emily from hospital as long as she sees him regularly and he prescribes her various medications but none seem to work. Jonathan then discusses the matter with Emily’s previous psychiatrist Victoria (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who suggests that Jonathan put Emily on the experimental drug Ablixa. The drug seems to help Emily, however it soon reveals its dark side as it causes her to sleep-walk and during these sleep-walking episodes she commits a terrible act, which she has no recollection of doing. Her case attracts negative publicity and Jonathan tries to defend Emily but becomes heavily involved in the scandal and is put to blame. As he feels he has done nothing wrong, he begins to investigate the case further.

This film has been rumoured to be Soderbergh’s last as a director and if this is the case then it is certainly a fine film to go out on. It is a clever, suspenseful and poignant thriller with plenty of unexpected twists. The cast are also excellent; Rooney Mara is able to portray both the vulnerable and detached aspects of Emily but arguably this is Law’s film whose character Jonathan undergoes a true transformation from whom he appears to be in the first half.

Side Effects touches on many different genres, from medical drama to psychoanalytic thriller, but there is no doubt that it is slick, smart and full of surprises.

Olivia Lynch