Sharp Corner Review: Overly Subtle Thriller

Jason Buxton’s Sharp Corner is a unique look at an obsessive man trying to become a hero to the people who fall victim to the road outside his house.

As Josh (Ben Foster) and Rachel (Cobie Smulders) are settling into their new home for the first night, they are interrupted by a tire flying through their front window when a car crashes on their lawn. The driver is pronounced dead on the scene, and Josh begins to obsess over the details of the case. When, just a few days later, another driver dies waiting for the paramedics to respond, Josh begins to put all of his focus into learning various life-saving techniques so that he will be able to save anyone else who falls victim to the hard turn that sits in front of their house. 

The obsession begins to affect all aspects of Josh’s life. He begins to slack off at work. He puts his son, Max (William Kosovic), into questionable situations by ignoring his response to the deaths that are occurring right outside of their home. His marriage suffers because he is not paying adequate attention to the areas of his life that allow him to be a good partner. Even as these relationships slip away, Josh finds himself unable to stop trying to be a hero. 

Sharp Corner is a film that has a lot of promise but didn’t quite come together to deliver the tension of that promise. Many elements of this movie border on brilliance, yet just miss the mark in a way that makes it a somewhat perplexing watch. The cagey nature of the script, from Buxton and co-writer Russell Wangersky, feels a little too clever for its own good.

At the top of the list is Foster’s performance. While this film is about obsessive behavior, Foster doesn’t turn to manic behavior, instead providing an increasing intensity that never bubbles over into something unhinged. The restraint is admirable, but the action of the movie never quite matches what Foster brings to the role. Instead, his performance almost comes across as lackluster due to the onscreen gravity not coming up to what Foster is laying down.

Another element of Sharp Corner that doesn’t quite work is the way that the film seems to engage with the idea of toxic masculinity. This subject is generally portrayed as a man who overcompensates for his perceived lack of manliness by participating in activities that border on hyper-masculine and often hurt those around him. The film effectively sets up the idea by showing us that Josh was passed over for a promotion and may not be as fulfilled in his marriage as he would like, so when he sees the opportunity to be a hero, it consumes him. We do see how this obsession ultimately harms his most important relationships and eventually turns him into a bit of a monster, but the subtlety is such that the impact feels somewhat humdrum. 

There is something to be said for movies that choose not to hit the audience over the head with the themes or characterizations. It can be tiring to watch a ham-fisted film that doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of nuance. So I appreciate the desire to choose a story that plays with ideas that force the audience to pay attention. However, that attention should be rewarded, and Sharp Corner never pays off in a fully satisfying way. 

Sharp Corner will be released in select US theatres and VOD on May 5, 2025.

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