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Steven Soderbergh is arguably one of the most reliable directors working today. Soderbergh didn’t let his 1984 rejection letter from Lucasfilm stop him from eventually making classics like “Erin Brockovich” and “Ocean’s Eleven.” But his team-ups with Channing Tatum in the 2010s and beyond have been particularly fruitful. Yes, that includes “Magic Mike,” but the duo also teamed up for an acclaimed thriller that has been hiding in plain sight.
Streaming now on Netflix, 2013’s “Side Effects” is an acclaimed thriller that, despite the praise it earned in its day, has sort of slipped through the cracks in both Tatum and Soderbergh’s filmography. For those looking for a fun, slick, twisted ride with a stacked cast, now would be a good time to seek this one out.
The movie centers on Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara), who has been awaiting her husband Martin’s (Channing Tatum) release from prison. When Martin finally comes home, Emily still feels just as bad as she did when he was behind bars. After sinking into a deep depression, she sees a psychiatrist, Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), who prescribes Emily a new medication that has some (you guessed it!) side effects. A twisty thrill ride ensues.
After the Trojan Horse stripper movie that was “Magic Mike” made bank at the box office, Tatum and Soderbergh decided to keep the partnership going with a very different kind of movie. One that also starred the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”) and Vinessa Shaw (“Hocus Pocus”). The result? Arguably the most underrated movie in the career of anyone associated with it.
Side Effects is an effective, underseen thriller
“Side Effects” boasts a solid 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s good, to be certain. Critics liked it in its day. But more than a decade removed, a lean, mean, non-franchise, mid-budget thriller seems more special than it once did. This is the kind of movie that Hollywood studios used to make with regularity. Now? They’re hard to come by, or they wind up getting dumped directly to streaming and lost in the flow.
The movie was, at best, a modest hit in its day, taking in $66 million at the box office against a $30 million budget. It deserved better. “Side Effects” was supposed to be Steven Soderbergh’s last pre-retirement theatrical film, as the director was threatening to retire for several years. That didn’t pan out but the fact that an acclaimed, reasonably budgeted thriller struggled to find a healthy audience at the time only served to illustrate the filmmaker’s frustrations with where the industry was headed.
As for Channing Tatum, this is one of his lesser-discussed, more subdued performances. It’s good stuff, in my humble opinion. Tatum is also a guy who has more than a few underseen gems in his catalog. “Logan Lucky,” which is much more than just a redneck “Ocean’s Eleven,” is another one. That also happens to be another Soderbergh joint. Why yes, a pattern does seem to be emerging here.
This is a slickly directed, well-written, expertly acted, tight little thriller. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a damn nice wheel, so to speak. It’s a ride well worth taking for those who weren’t privy to it before.
You can also grab “Side Effects” on Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon.
