Side Effects (2013)

A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writer:

Scott Z. Burns

Stars:

Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rooney Mara	...	Emily Taylor
Carmen Pelaez	...	Prison Desk Guard
Marin Ireland	...	Upset Visitor
Channing Tatum	...	Martin Taylor
Polly Draper	...	Emily's Boss
Ann Dowd	...	Martin's Mother
Haraldo Alvarez	...	Garage Attendant
Jude Law	...	Dr. Jonathan Banks
James Martinez	...	Police Officer at Hospital
Vladimir Versailles	...	Augustin
Jacqueline Antaramian	...	Desk Nurse
Michelle Vergara Moore	...	Joan
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Dr. Victoria Siebert
Katie Lowes	...	Conference Organizer
David Costabile	...	Carl

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.

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Plot Keywords:

side effect | clinical trial | depression | psychiatrist | doctor | 

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Taglines:

In some instances, death may occur.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

8 February 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bitter Pill

Filming Locations:

Taconic Correctional Facility, Bedford Hills, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,303,145, 10 February 2013

Gross USA:

$32,172,757

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$63,372,757

Company Credits

Production Co:

Endgame Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment, Di Bonaventura Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The poster for the anti-depressant Ablixa at the subway station features British actress Alexa Brown.

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Goofs

(at around 3 mins) The mic, cameraman and camera are reflected in a car window.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Female Guard: Front door!
Prison Desk Guard: I can't let it in unless I see it.
Upset Visitor: I know. I know what the rules are. I'm just asking if you can make an exception.
Prison Desk Guard: There are no exceptions. That's why we have rules.

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Connections

References Psycho (1960)

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Soundtracks

Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067 - Menuet & Rondeau
Performed by Alice Hamlet, Jessica Nelson, and Ann Marie Yoo
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

In danger of not caring...

I usually love Steven Soderbergh films. And this one starts off with his usual brilliance and had me hooked for the first half of the film.

The first of the film is well-acted, well-crafted, smart and involving.

Then comes the crunch: without spoiling, the second half of the film is quite different. In a sense the "smart" of the film just becomes an exercise in how "clever" the plot can be at the expense of any emotional truth to the characters. I stopped caring for the ensemble as they started to feel like lifeless pawns following the whims of a "how clever am I?" plot-line. You'll enjoy it if you like a Sunday Afternoon TV Detective movie and like solving the puzzle, but this is not great theatre.

It is better than most films, but only just. Certainly one of Soderbergh's most disappointing. Rooney Mara makes it still watchable - an actress to keep following.