TIFF Review: Sanctuary
Added 2022-09-13 16:34:43 +0000 UTCThis is the film Malcolm and Marie wants to be. Starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott, Sanctuary is play-like film about a domanatrix and her client as they engage in a never ending exchange of power over the course of a single night. In the vein of classics like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf or Death Trap, Sanctuary is a psychological pas de deux, filled to the brim with clever wordplay and thrilling bait and switches between its two amorphous protagonists.
Both Qualley and Abbott are absolutely riveting in their performances - with Qualley delivering her entire range of capabilities from demure to maniacal all in the span of a single scene. Abbott investigates his Hollywood typecast as the proverbial good guy, and unravels for us all the facets that this identity holds within it.
Sanctuary is directed by Zachary Wigon and written by Micah Bloomberg - who adapted the script from a play he had conceived about the power dynamic between sex workers and their clients. Of this dynamic, Wigon reflects that he and Bloomberg were drawn to this concept because a domanatrix has “all the power in this relationship, and none of it”. The film unpacks this idea intricately, while avoiding archetypal cliches by maintaining the idiosyncrasies and quirks of its characters.
Watching Sanctuary is a thrilling experience, as the film cuts and floats between genre with ease. In one moment, it’s a psychological thriller. In the next, a romantic comedy. The audience is kept on their toes at all times, and entertained throughout with genuinely hilarious banter. While the cinematography can be over the top at times, its kinetic energy makes the single hotel room location vibrant and dynamic through the film’s running time. Overall, Sanctuary is a delight. A+!
