Unthinkable

Unthinkable Review

Unthinkable Overview

The most suspenseful thriller of the year explores just how far we will go to protect ourselves and our country. When a nuclear expert-turned-extremist (Michael Sheen, Underworld) plants devices in three separate cities, the country's counter-terrorism force springs into action and captures him. But the location of his bombs remains a mystery. With time running out, FBI agent Helen Brody (Carrie-Anne Moss, Disturbia) agrees to work alongside a mysterious interrogator known only as "H" (Samuel L. Jackson, Lakeview Terrace), whose ruthless methods get results. But a power struggle develops between Brody, "H', and the terrorist, and what happens next is unbelievable and -ultimately-Unthinkable!

Unthinkable Specifications

Unthinkable will give people of all political persuasions plenty to argue about. A terrorist named Arthur Younger (Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon) has planted nuclear bombs in three American cities, then allowed himself to be arrested. The government, desperate to find these bombs, turns Younger over to a man known only as H (Samuel L. Jackson), who will use any means to extract information from Younger, despite the protests of FBI agent Helen Brody (Carrie-Anne Moss, Memento), who argues that torture doesn't produce viable data. Though Unthinkable is driven by this debate, the plot moves forward propulsively, never getting bogged down in rhetoric, and it carefully grounds this fantasy scenario (Younger is to real terrorists as Hannibal Lecter is to real serial killers) in realistic textures and details. It helps that the cast is crammed with talented characters actors, including Martin Donovan (The Opposite of Sex), Stephen Root (NewsRadio), and a lot of faces you'll recognize, even if you don't know their names. More importantly, Unthinkable gives weight to both perspectives and doesn't pull its punches about what torture entails. The final moment will provoke the most debate: does it bring the argument to a conclusion, or are the filmmakers just picking the most flamboyant ending? --Bret Fetzer