Unthinkable

Plot synopsis:
An American Muslim man and former Delta Force operator, Yusuf (Sheen), makes a videotape. When FBI Special Agent Helen Brody (Moss) and her team see news bulletins looking for Yusuf, they launch an investigation, which is curtailed when they are summoned to a high school, which has been converted into a black site under military command. They are shown Yusuf's complete tape, where he threatens to detonate three nuclear bombs in separate U.S. cities if his demands are not met.
A special interrogator, "H" (Samuel L. Jackson), is brought in to force Yusuf to reveal the locations of the nuclear bombs. H quickly shows his capability and cruelty by chopping off one of Yusuf's fingers with a small hatchet. Horrified, Special Agent Brody attempts to put a stop to the measures. Her superiors make it clear that the potentially disastrous consequences necessitate these extreme measures. As the plot unfolds, H escalates his methods (with Brody as the "good cop"). Brody realizes that Yusuf anticipated that he would be tortured. Yusuf then makes his demands: he would like the President of the United States to announce a cessation of support for puppet governments and dictatorships in Muslim countries and a withdrawal of American troops from all Muslim countries. The group immediately dismisses the possibility of his demands being met, citing the United States' declared policy of not negotiating with terrorists.
When Brody accuses Yusuf of faking the bomb threat in order to make a point about the moral character of the United States government, he breaks down and agrees that it was all a ruse. He gives her an address to prove it. They find a room that matches the scene in the video tape and find evidence on the roof. A soldier removes a picture from an electrical switch which triggers a tremendous C-4 explosion at a nearby shopping mall visible from the roof. The explosion kills 53 people. Angry at the senseless deaths, Brody returns to Yusuf and cuts his chest with a scalpel. Yusuf is unafraid and demands she cut him. He justifies the deaths in the shopping mall, stating that the Americans kill that many people every day. Yusuf says he allowed himself to be caught so he could face his oppressors.
H questions whether Yusuf will reveal the bombs' location unless Yusuf's wife is found. When she is detained, H brings her in front of her husband and threatens to mutilate her in front of him. Brody and the others begin to take her away from the room in disgust. Out of desperation, H slashes her throat and she bleeds to death in front of Yusuf. Still without cooperation, H tells the soldiers to bring in Yusuf's two children, a young boy and a girl. Outside of Yusuf's hearing, he assures everyone that he will not harm the children. Yusuf's children are brought in and H makes it clear that he will torture them if the locations of the bombs are not divulged. Yusuf breaks and gives three addresses (in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas), but H does not stop, forcing the others to intervene. Citing the amount of missing nuclear material Yusuf potentially had at his disposal (some 15–18 lbs. were reported missing, with about 4½ lbs. needed per device), H insists that Yusuf has not admitted anything about a hence-unreferenced fourth bomb. H points out that everything Yusuf has done so far has been planned meticulously. He knew the torture would most likely break him, and he would have been certain to plant a fourth bomb, just in case.
The purpose of the preceding torture was not to break Yusuf, but rather to make it clear what would happen to his children if he did not cooperate. The official in charge of the operation demands that H bring Yusuf's children back in for further interrogation. H demands that Brody bring the children back in, because her decency will give him the moral approval that he needs to do the "unthinkable". When Brody refuses to retrieve the children for H, he unstraps Yusuf, sarcastically setting him free. The official draws his pistol and aims it at H to coerce him into further interrogation. Yusuf grabs the official's gun. He asks Brody to take care of his children and kills himself. Brody walks out of the building with Yusuf's children.
=== Extended version ===
An FBI bomb disposal unit arrives at one of the disclosed locations and resets the timer, preventing the bomb from going off. As the FBI are celebrating however, behind a nearby crate, the originally unconfirmed fourth bomb's timer counts down to zero.

Tags: suspenseful, psychological, philosophical, sadist

Review:
Carrie-Anne Moss represents the average citizen watching this movie, having a facade of superior human rights beliefs (that we tend to have in western countries) that gradually get whittled away as the situation in the movie get more desperate.How far are we really willing to go to save millions of people?
This movie flaunts that idea.Unthinkable has excellent mind-play and dialogue that really gets you thinking and challenges what we really believe about human rights..
this is one of the best films I have ever seen hands-down, regardless the low ratings many other reviewers have given it thus far.While the premise of the movie is a bit far-fetched, the film itself is superb and has an excellent cast, great acting and a good script.
I do not believe the extreme violence has been added for shock value or entertainment, but rather to shake the hell out of the audience in order to make them reflect upon their humanity and what it means to be human.Also, while I do believe that having yet another film depicting the bad guy/terrorist as a Muslim does have the potential of perpetuating certain negative stereotypes about Islam and Muslims, I feel that the "bad guy" could have just as easily been from any another religious tradition or political ideology and I did not consider it to be offensive or deliberately anti-Muslim and I say this as a Muslim myself.I was thoroughly engaged till the very end and was left absolutely speechless, staring at the screen.
Although many viewers are thinking this film is offending Muslims, I personally do not agree with them.Michael Sheen was playing very well and he did a good job -as always- here.
Jackson was very "deep" in this movie and his acting was excellent.The film grabs you and takes you to it's world.
But it very strong stuff that poses some serious questions about a subject that I don't like to think about; torture in the pursuit saving lives.Samuel L.
Carrie-Anne Moss is an FBI agent caught in the middle of their deadly cat & mouse.The movie's biggest strength is that we believe that Jackson's "H" is capable of doing ANYTHING to save innocent lives including the "unthinkable".
I'd heard nothing about this film until I had a look at some reviews on here, sounded like something which might be my cup of tea and had a decent cast......what a good film.I have no idea why people have watched this and called it propaganda - it's a film!
This film is great simply because it makes the viewer ask themselves important and tough questions.If you are an open minded person, Unthinkable makes you think about things you definitely should ponder, even though you would probably rather not have to think about them.This film essentially brings up the old adage that few things in this world are truly black and white, even though politicians, media, films, etc, usually like to pretend they are.
Time is ticking as three bombs are hidden in American cities, and a terrorist Steven Younger (Michael Sheen) is tortured for the information of their locations, however, is he telling the whole truth.Genuine nail-biting performances from Sheen and Matrix's actress Carrie-Anne Moss as 'Brody'.
There is depth his character, ruthless yet a family man, emotionless, yet sensitive and the viewers moral standpoint can only decide if he is right or wrong.Principles, religious beliefs, good and evil are questioned and touched upon in Peter Woodward's screen-play.
With a great score that builds the tension, Unthinkable is intriguing and gripping as it unfolds at a pulse pounding pace with an ending to die for.It's a topical thriller wonderfully directed by Gregor Jordan and certainly worth every second of your viewing time..
Lots of praises went for Samuel L.Jackson as hard-core interrogator, in my opinion he did a good job but its easy to admire him as we are familiar with his earlier work, he is known actor and people would always take him to hearts simply because they recognize him.
Carrie-Anne Moss as FBI inspector has very difficult role in a man's movie because she is basically on everybody's way, Jodie Foster might have been better choice here.
This is a fictional scenario wherein US authorities have a verified terrorist in custody and simultaneously happen to know that unless they can squeeze info from said terrorist in a short time span, hundreds, thousands, or millions of people will be killed by that terrorist's plot.There are multiple problems with the Ticking Bomb Scenario, such as the unlikelihood of authorities simultaneously having a genuine terrorist in custody that they genuinely and verifiably know has the information they want, concurrent with verifiable knowledge that a mass terror act is about to occur.
Jackson performing the most odious and vile tortures, with hapless Carrie Ann Moss forced to watch and enable such depravity.This film is full of damned lies and disinformation that go unchallenged, and these damned lies are too numerous to list in this review.
And even more astonishing that people can suspend common sense and be convinced this nonsense bears any resemblance to the reality of counter-terrorism.Suckered into watching this film due to the previous reviews and the strong male cast, the only jaw dropping moments for me were at the ludicrous plot and gratuitous violence.Shame on those who were fooled by such dreadful blatant propaganda.
Samuel as always superb in portraying his character, Carrie-Anne Moss also did good job, but most impressive character is "Younger" played by Michael Sheen.
But there is a problem with rest of the cast, it felt like director got his 3 lead actors, and didn't care rest of them, especially seeing superman as FBI agent was kinda odd.The idea of the movie is so controversial, that it will definitely cause to question what is right and what is wrong.
The very thought of enjoying this torture film is, in itself, rather disturbing, and the fact that this movie got good reviews is also disturbing.
Is the movie making a political statement or maybe asking use to think about how far the government would go to save itself?
This film is supposed to make you think about the choice of torture and murder if that action could save millions of lives.It tries to portray "both" sides of the argument.In reality, the presupposition that the lesser of the two evils is being scoped is actually false.This type of torture is ongoing - not because we need to "save a million lives" but rather to keep the powerful, powerful.The public needs these reasons to allow exceptions in law or to turn a blind eye in "such cases".
Nothing has changed in that respect.The good teachings found in Christianity and Islam go out the window when it comes to maintaining power for the corrupt.Unfortunately, this movie will sway many to think that this form of torture may be necessary to get results.That was the aim.Smokescreen..
The story focuses on a young American man Stephen Arthur Younger who has become an Islamic terrorist, planting three nuclear bombs in three American cities, setting up his capture, and then resisting revealing the information about his plot as he undergoes torture.
It is alarming to watch what all he goes thorough at the hands of the very secretive government torturer Henry Herald 'H' Humphries (Samuel L Jackson), only slightly deterred by another US government official Agent Brody (Carrie-Anne Moss).
But the film does not flesh out any of the characters well enough to make us care about them and in the end it is a rather messy replay of what likely goes on in POW camps around the world - on every side of the concept of who is right and who is wrong.
Many things seem strange and go without explanation of any kind.Anyone who thinks this is a good movie and by that most likely agrees with it's message stopped being human and should really rethink his/her place on this planet..
The terrorist played the best part of the movie, rest of all characters were very poor and Samule Jackson, i don't like you anymore.
What I remember from Action movies before 9/11 was that the good guys (Americans) would do anything to save the world, but keeping their traditional moral values intact, while the "Terrorists" where the ones that torture, kill or sacrifice human lives.From 2001, I've seen all that changing, starting in Jack Bauer and that "all matters to save human lives and to keep the American way of life" motto.And I will let my self be a little paranoid, but understanding Hollywood cinema as the fastest American culture spreader around the world and inside the US, I feel that all these new "tactics" used by our new "heroes" are somewhat a message "somebody" wants to spread.And Unthinkable is the newest chapter of this new "American hero" thing.
This movie is a sophisticatedly constructed justification for torture that uses the hoary-old "ticking time-bomb" device to contrive an extreme and unlikely scenario in which few would object to its use.If there was a real risk of massive casualties, time was quickly running out and the authorities had custody of person who created the threat, I think no-one would object to the use of the most extreme methods to extract information if they were deemed necessary.
However I would have had more respect for the creators if they had credited their audience with more intelligence and constructed a drama around the questions surrounding the real-world use of torture and not used the clichéd Hollywood "ticking time-bomb scenario" that has never actually happened..
the whole mumble jumble going on here is intended to justify torture and especially the "war on terror", and the producers ( the department of defence) are determined to convince the regular American citizen of "us versus them" minimalist approach.the way i see it, this movie also promotes genocide.
just imagine for a second while watching that this movie was made by some non-American government and i am confident you will see the unthinkable...and this is the last time i will be viewing Samuel L.
Jackson's character bad because what his role does in the movie is the call of duty - something he HAS to do and you will know why - but you can't call his role good either as some of the things his character does is beyond Human.You definitely can't call Michael Sheen's character a good man, but you can't call it bad either because his real motives - his real asks - lies in the good of the world.
Carrie-Anne Moss' character will warm your heart - will give you the feeling that she is the only good person in the movie, but then her decision in the end doesn't serve for the best of many people.
However, her character is the most compassionate and if there were more people like her, the world would be a better place.This is such an ambivalent movie that it will leave you hanging, you will ask questions in your mind, but perhaps the only people on whom we can pass off a definite judgment are the ones in power, the ones who can make the decisions, the ones who let the others do the dirty job for them and in the end take the moral high ground - those are the real hypocrites (you will know what I am talking about once you watch the movie - saying anything more would lead to spoilers).Acting, brilliant; Michael Sheen might as well have won an Oscar if his character wasn't so controversial.
Nothing needs to be said about Samuel Jackson, but only one thing: if you think that his roles in Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown were the most bad-ass you ever saw him play - just watch this movie, you know realise that those roles are nothing "bad- ass" compared to this.
This film is propaganda attempting to justify the use of torture on terrorists.There were two terrorists in this flick - the Muslim prisoner (NOT "detainee")(Michael Sheen)who had planted nukes around the U.S., and his interrogator (Samuel Jackson) who terrorized him.From what I've heard, torture is considered unreliable as a means of getting reliable information.
While watching this movie some people will be wanting shoot Samuel Jacksons character because while he claims the moral high ground of saving lives, he takes the lowest road in trampling upon all of Americas strengths such as love of liberty, respect for the law, respect for duly appointed superiors.
It neither demonises nor martyrs the religion, its merely the topical vehicle out of which the focus is an interrogation of a self-ascribed "terrorist" (Sheen) by Samuel L.Jackson's character, employing the most vile, inhumane methods possible to extract information that will potentially save the world.Overblown alleged "thriller" is essentially memorable only for one scene, earning the title name, and while it seems implausible, the film is asking you to suspend disbelief and open your mind to conspiracy theory.
after watching this movie, can you chitchat with your friends, whether torturing a person to save a city is moral or not, you can.
The scenario assumes a highly improbable array of variables that runs something like this: —First, FBI or CIA agents apprehend a terrorist at the precise moment between timer's first tick and bomb's burst.—Second, the interrogators somehow have sufficiently detailed foreknowledge of the plot to know they must interrogate this very person and do it right now.—Third, these same officers, for some unexplained reason, are missing just a few critical details that only this captive can divulge.—Fourth, the biggest leap of all, these officers with just one shot to get the information that only this captive can divulge are best advised to try torture, as if beating him is the way to assure his wholehearted cooperation.I started watching 'Unthinkable' and now have paused it before seeing the entire film, so you may consider my opinion incomplete.
And, of course, "damn it, we're running out of time!" Meanwhile, Carrie Ann Moss plays "the reason character", representing the sane part of the audience, arguing that using torture on them means the terrorists have won.
If this situation were presented to you, would you torture and maybe save millions or would you stay true to your morals and act like a real human being should?
I think the movie is really awful..It feels like torture is the right thing to do, and that nobody should be blamed for that as if it is a national duty?!!!!
Unthinkably Bad. This movie was like a bad CSI episode where morally conflicted characters cannot make up their minds on whether the end justifies the means.
Maybe that's the brilliance of it--this movie is torture of a very special, unending kind.You might and should ask why in the world did I watch it to the end?
The movie unthinkable ask or explores the questions like what is terrorism, what is brain drain, what is meant in the feeling of patriotism, and who and where are terrorists.
3. Are you who you think you are?The 1st half of the movie was pretty much stuff you've seen a dozen times before.The evil Black ops guy, who's got every1 by the balls cus his heartless methods are going to save the day; The woman who's basking in the facade of her morals; The bad guy who's portrayed in a way he'd end up being the audiences favourite character.
But of you have read the synopsis Im not giving anything away so its safe to read although not advised for the woolly minded.The movie centres around one man who has planted three nuclear weapons in three US cities set to go off in less than four days and his interrogator (Samuel L Jackson)and their relationship if it could be called that.The only obvious politically correct facet of the film was that the bad guy was an American convert to the Muslim faith and i do understand why the film-makers chose to go down that route.
SJ is a no compromise Interrogator, Michael Sheen is the Terrorist and Carrie-Anne Moss plays the hand wringing conscience filled FBI agent demanding we keep our humanity intact.
But as long as our good human nature is intact then those millions of lives don't matter such is the hand wringing mindset, a point made in the film by Carrie Ann Moss.Yet, a good number of reviewers are adamant that there is no justification for torture even in such circumstances.
Many here are offended at the idea of torturing one man to save millions, but quite frankly I don't believe them because they have never faced such a reality and they simply like to think their more enlightened than those of us who would advocate doing what is necessary in such a situation.
Mr. Jackson keeps torturing the prisoner with all kinds of techniques, thinking to himself it is for protection of the lives of millions, while on the other side we see FBI agent who blindly plays the good cop.
I don't see him as a political puppet, but after this...I changed my mind!Totally political movie, that attempts to fool you into thinking agencies work is justified and could not be even called in question.Sorry to burst your bubble, I highly doubt people would like this groveling type of concept here..
Unlike most action thrillers, this movie almost exclusively focuses on the psychological interrogation of the terrorists as Jackson's and Moss's diametrically different approaches are revealed in dramatic ways.
The set up is laughably cheesy including Samuel L Jackson's character who is supposed to be the greatest interrogater in the country who is better than the CIA or military.Also the third act and the end of this movie make the whole movie feel like a complete waste of time.
Well done movie,great acting but its unthinkable to watch it again..
Unthinkable is a movie that could lead every person who believes in human rights to think between right and wrong.
And the point of this movie isn't justifying torture, for 1 on that subject, why would it be called "unthinkable"?