Side Effects

Last night I wanted to see something different from what I have been recently watching, and I decided to see Side Effects starring  Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Jude Law. Side Effects is an intense, suspenseful, Hitchcock-like thriller that revolves around the use of prescription psychiatric drugs, but it also deals with psychology, law, insecurity, social stigma, corporate greed, and obsession. What more could you ask for in a film?

Mara stars as Emily Taylor, a young woman who is reunited with her husband, Martin (Tatum), after being released from prison. But Emily has trouble adjusting to Martin's presence in her life, and she quickly sinks into a deep depression, and attempts to commit suicide by driving her car into a wall. She survives the crash.

As Emily's assigned psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) contemplates sending Emily to a mental hospital, but Emily pushes for a series of one-on-one sessions with Dr. Banks instead, and he agrees. With the help of various medications, Emily slowly recovers from her depression, and her relationship with Martin improves. Emily enjoys her newfound happiness, and Martin is looking for a way to "get back in the game." But Emily's erratic behavior worries Dr. Banks and Martin. As she prepares for dinner one night, Emily murders Martin with a butcher knife during a sleepwalking episode that is a side effect from one of her prescription drugs. Emily's former psychiatrist, Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) lends a helping hand by revealing crucial information about her former patient that could save Emily from a lifelong imprisonment.

I will say no more. This is a good movie that I highly recommend.