Most psychological thrillers revolve around an unreliable protagonist on the verge of a mental breakdown, something I’ve complained about endlessly. 2024’s Sharp Corner takes an entirely different approach as its protagonist unravels while remaining fully lucid, stripping the story of any ambiguity. Here, we follow a man who becomes singularly obsessed with the sharp corner outside his new home, where fatal car crashes spill onto his front lawn.
A refreshing spin on the genre, and one with a subtle sense of existential humor that elevates the premise, Sharp Corner is a dark yet hilarious take on the fallout that occurs when a man living an unsatisfying life gives in to his impulses in search of a greater purpose.
A Broken Man In Search Of A Catalyst
Sharp Corner centers on Josh (Ben Foster), an unmotivated sales rep who moves into his supposed dream home with his wife, Rachel (Cobie Smulders), and their son, Max (William Kosovic). Before they even finish unpacking, a tire flies through the living room window, drawing their attention to the horrific wreck outside.
Shaken by what happened, Josh becomes fixated on the stretch of road and starts flaking on work. He spends his professional and personal time researching the crash victims, of which there are many, and showing up to their funerals to pay his respects, acting as if he knew them personally.
Meanwhile, Rachel voices her concern for Max, who’s already struggling to adjust after the move from the city. Josh grows more neglectful of his son, who may or may not have PTSD from the recurring crashes, as he blows off work to take rescue courses.
Buying CPR dolls, he hides in the closet and practices when no one’s around. Josh loses himself in an imaginary crusade, believing he’s some neighborhood hero waiting to spring to action when the next inevitable incident occurs.
Impact From Full Lucidity
Josh isn’t teetering on the edge of insanity in Sharp Corner. He’s fully present as his life falls apart. Cobie Smulders doesn’t play a hysterical housewife or overreacting spouse. Rachel is the voice of reason, exhausted by her husband’s refusal to sell the house, confront Max’s trauma, or do what any sensible parent would under the same circumstances.
As the sharp corner consumes Josh, it’s clear that his life was already unfulfilling, and the constant crashes only forced him to find meaning where there was none. Maybe his joyless job and parental responsibilities pushed him into a quiet depression. Maybe he never wanted this life and only realized it after signing a mortgage that felt like a death sentence.
Whatever’s happening in his mind isn’t clouded by confusion or psychosis; he knows his shortcomings. He just doesn’t care, which somehow makes his story more tragic.
Streaming Sharp Corner
Dark and brooding, with just enough situational humor to keep things morbidly amusing, Sharp Corner manages to be both a slow burn and a wild ride. With every fatal collision, we see a man unravel, not from madness, but from his unwillingness to face what’s driving him.
How far is Josh willing to go to find meaning in his ordinary life? Sharp Corner answers that question one wreck at a time.
Sharp Corner is streaming on Hulu.
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