Plot
A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.
Release Year: 2013
Rating: 7.5/10 (4,965 voted)
Director:Steven Soderbergh
Storyline
Emily Taylor, despite being reunited with her husband from prison, becomes severely depressed with emotional episodes and suicide attempts. Her psychiatrist, Jonathan Banks, after conferring with her previous doctor, eventually prescribes an experimental new medication called Ablixa. The plot thickens when the side effects of the drug lead to Emily killing her husband in a "sleepwalking" state. With Emily plea-bargained into mental hospital confinement and Dr. Banks' practice crumbling around him, the case seems closed. However, Dr. Banks cannot accept full responsibility and investigates to clear his name. What follows is a dark quest that threatens to tear what's left of his life apart even as he discovers the diabolical truth of this tragedy.
Filming Locations: Yonkers Stages - 291 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers, New York, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $30,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $9,303,145
(USA)
(8 February 2013)
Gross: $25,253,516
(USA)(22 February 2013)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Reported to be Steven Soderbergh's final film as a director. See more »
Quotes: Martin Taylor:
Be careful.
Emily Taylor:
Why?
Martin Taylor:
There are side effects.
Emily Taylor:
There always are. Side effects.
See more »
User Review
Soderbergh Does Drugs and Does Them Well
Rating: 8/10
Side Effects is a psychological thriller centered around the
pharmaceutical industry. I won't say much more for fear of spoiling
anything, but let's just say an experimental drug prescription goes...
haywire. ;)
Steven Soderbergh crafts his suspense from the very first frame with a
perfect start for the film. The plot then pulls us in and keeps us
guessing as the mystery slowly unfolds. The cast meshes wonderfully.
Jude Law delivers a strong lead as the frustrated psychiatrist and
Rooney Mara is mysterious and unpredictable. My only complaint is the
performances were not as dramatic as they could have been. Mara was
excellent at portraying her character's cold and lifeless depression,
but I have seen what she is really capable of (Fincher's "The Girl with
the Dragon Tattoo"), and she could have definitely reached those
heights with this type of character. Nonetheless, a fine set of
performances all around, but they take a back seat to the intoxicating
narrative.
So is Side Effects Soderbergh's last hurrah? I certainly hope not, as
it's probably my favorite film of his. I do wish Soderbergh got more
range out of Mara, but the result is a satisfying and expertly-woven
psychological drama packed with twists and turns.
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