‘Side Effects’ tells the story of Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) who is struggling with the return of depression as her husband Martin (Channing Tatum) is released from jail for insider trading. She books an appointment with psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) who prescribes her with new drug Ablixa but it causes her to sleepwalk and commit a crime. But is all that it seems in her past, as Banks tries to find out by quizzing her former doctor Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones).
‘Side Effects’ is an intriguing film which keeps you hooked for its 1hr40 running time with Law in particular bringing a lot to the role. As the plot reveals itself and Banks tries to get to the truth behind everything, it keeps you engaged but the revelation at the end is pretty much signposted before it’s revealed two-thirds in but that’s not really too much of a detriment as it’s the characters and the revealing of the truth, and whether characters will get the comeuppance, that proves to be important.
It’s well acted and shot and the plot holds together, though it does seem insistent on shoe-horning several sex and similar scenes in to try and spice up the film, but it’s an enjoyable, if unremarkable, crime thriller but one where it’s the characters that keep you going.
(7/10)
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