“Unthinkable” is one of those movies that give you something to think about long after the credits stop rolling. It’s a serious study of how far a nation would go to stop terrorism, particularly nuclear terrorism. I found myself facing a very important question: when do we stop being human and start being animals? or better yet: who is more evil, the man who makes a bomb and threatens to kill, or the man who brutally tortures to stop the bomb? In “Unthinkable”, Samuel L. Jackson plays a U.S government operative who will do anything to get information from a terrorist who is threatening to blow up three american cities. Michael Sheen is that terrorist. Carrie Ann Moss is the FBI agent who finds herself caught in the middle of their deadly cat and mouse game. Jackson’s character wants us to believe that he is willing to do anything to save innocent lives including the “unthinkable”. He will stop at nothing.

The film is not very pleasant to watch. A significant amount of time is spent on Jackson interogating/torturing the prisoner. However, it does come up with some very interesting moral questions, and I loved that about it. And much to my surprise, the film never tries to pick sides. On the contrary, it presents both scenarios, and lets us come to our own conclusion. The pace of the movie couldn’t be better, and every performance is sharp and totally believable (especially Michael Sheen who’s simply terrific). So no matter what you may believe, whether it’s “the end justifies the mean”, or “treat every human being with respect (terrorist or not)”, I suggest you watch this movie with an open mind, because to miss it would simply be “unthinkable”.

Rating: 3/4