The psychological thriller is a genre that can summed up as a balancing act. One of your elements is off and the whole thing doesn’t work. Throw in eroticism and comedy, the mixture becomes way harder to keep contained. That’s not to say that those types of films that relish in the absurd are terrible on an enjoyment level, but the over the top thrillers in that category play better in the entertainment realm. That’s where Sanctuary comes in, a film that is juggling a lot of balls, more than you might be able to notice on a first watch. The question is whether or not this film can successfully keep the momentum up the entire time.
Sanctuary is the story of a dominatrix and her rich client as they are thrown into a mind game when he decides that her services are not necessary anymore. Sanctuary, like the kinky sex scenarios is a film that depends entirely on the pace and the timing. The film is 90 minutes, but it takes every second and uses it to its advantage. We as the audience are apart of this “erotic storyline” in a sense as we watch the two battle in a game of wit and sexuality until they arrive at the climax. You could look at the film as a whole or every individual scene and you will see how carefully constructed the film is. We are trapped in this scenario along with the pair. This is probably one of the best examples in a long time of a film that properly emulates how Hitchcock saw thrills. He always discussed how the buildup to a moment is more intense than the actual moment. This film is not overtly violent or cruel in anyway, but instead decides to thrill with a more psychological approach, which is one of the crucial elements that made the films of Hitchcock and those who emulated him correctly so engaging.
On an acting standpoint, this film is the perfect illustration of the talent of both of its leads. The film is set in one room during one night, meaning that the actors are most of what is at show at any given moment of the film. Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott do their absolute best in this film, as they take the material and run with it in the best of ways. This film could have been less engaging if they played it at a lower level, but the pair put their all into this film and it elevates the entire experience for me. Margaret Qualley is absolutely exceptional in this picture with the way she uses facial acting. Most actors can read lines and come off convincing, but if you could incorporate the face into the acting and even tell the audience everything they need to know without speaking and just through facial expressions, I consider you a standout actor. Qualley is able to do that exceptionally throughout this film. Abbott also shows how he’s able to balance both the comedic and the dramatic through this film as in some scenes he is funny and endearing while in others he is cold and menacing. The acting is one element of the picture that made this exceptional to me.
Cinematography is a delicate element when it comes to filmmaking and it is one that this film mastered. This could have easily been a film that used a basic medium shot set up that is common in films that are more focused on the script and performances, but this film takes it many steps forward. I was impressed throughout by the way the camera moves around this small hotel room. Every single shot had purpose and told you more about several elements of the film. The masterful cinematography helped the film dig deeper into the relationship between the pair, the power balance, the tension and so much more. The dance scene with Qualley while Abbott looks for the camera was standout and exceptional as the floaty cinematography was disorienting but with extreme purpose. Many don’t ever think of how their films look and what it could do to elevate the material, so when someone puts effort into how the film is presented visually, I applaud it.
The score is also a defining element that helped elevate the film to another level. The score was composed by Ariel Marx who is also known for composing the Shiva Baby score which is a film that I also appreciate heavily. That film’s score was foundational in bringing the anxiety and tension to the audience, and that sentiment is also present in this film. The way that the score helps tell you things about the dynamics present in the film is exceptional. Certain scenes had me wondering whether I was feeling the anxiety of the scene or the eroticism or even a mix of the two based heavily on how the score took over the scene.
The film is an interesting one when it comes to the thematic elements present in the script. The film is an erotic thriller but it’s also a romantic comedy in some elements. The film is able to balance so many aspects of these sometimes conflicting genres and mold them together to tell a film that is much more than just passable. The film also journeys into ideas of the capitalist system and the levels of class without falling into the territory of repetition. It’s a film that has you anxious in one moment, laughing in another and adoring the relationship between the two in a moments notice. The film is simply a story of two people who’s relationship goes past that of a sexual one as they realize that they need each other in more ways than they might have previously suspected.
Sanctuary is a tour de force that is able to balance a large amount of elements and ideas when some films have a hard time even balancing a few of them at a moment. Performances, cinematography and score are just a few elements that help this film push past the framework of a standard erotic and psychological thriller to become something much more nuanced and compelling. Sanctuary truly throws you into a power struggle and immerses you in it. Like Hitchcock’s body of work and many of those who have emulated him exceptionally, Sanctuary does the thriller genre well.
The Rating
Sanctuary is now available to rent digitally on most platforms
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