Ever had a bad day go from bad to worse? In today’s world, we’ve somehow accepted road rages as a norm. Many drivers agree to have expressed frustration and aggression while driving. But what happens when you’re stuck in a road rage that doesn’t seem to end?
While the world stood still and stayed indoors in 2020, Unhinged became the first wide theatrical release in that year. Although the movie was met with mixed reviews from critics and got $44.3 million at the box office, viewers were left with one simple lesson from Unhinged: it can happen to anyone.
The Introduction of a Psychopath
Credit: Unhinged
The movie begins on a rainy night. Tom Cooper (Russell Crowe) is parked in front of a house looking angry. He removes his wedding ring, picks up a hammer, and a tank of gasoline and exits the car.
Tom breaks into a house, kills the occupants, set the house on fire and drives away. We’ll discover the next day that the house occupants are Tom’s ex-wife and her new boyfriend. Russell Crowe isn’t the Gladiator in this one, but a psychopath.
Rachel Flynn Is Having a Bad Day
Credit: Unhinged
The next scene sets the stage to show how bad a day Rachel Flynn was having. Rachel is a newly divorced mom who’s trying to get her son, Kyle, to school, meet her work appointment, and finalize the divorce arrangements with her lawyer.
She wakes up a bit late, prepares herself and her son for school and gets into the car to leave. However, after going against her son’s advice, she gets on the freeway and gets caught by the rush hour traffic. While trying to navigate her way from the traffic, one of her high-paying clients calls to fire her.
Frustrated and exhausted, she gets off the freeway and is focused on getting her child to school on time.
Rachel Flynn Crosses Path with Tom Cooper
Credit: Unhinged
Having found a way out of the rush hour traffic, Rachel chooses to use the inner city streets to link up to her son’s school. Tom’s truck is packed right in front of her at a traffic light stop. When the traffic light signals green, Tom seems to have fallen asleep.
Rachel honks severally to get his attention to hasten her movement. When he awakes, Tom moves his truck as Rachel quickly overtakes him. She gets caught by the next traffic light and waits for it to signal green. Tom pulls right next to her on the right.
Tom tries to get the attention of Rachel to apologize for delaying at the traffic light. Rachel is already having a bad day and chooses not to pay him any attention. Tom informs her to apologize for repeatedly honking so they can both go on with their lives.
Rachel sees no reason to apologize since she has done no wrong. Tom believes he deserves an apology and considers Rachel as being spoilt and entitled. As such, he was going to show her what it truly means to have a bad day.
Tom Kills Andy
Credit: Unhinged
If ever there was a doubt on how much of a psychopath Tom was, his meeting with Andy cleared it out. After Tom successfully switches his phone for Rachel’s at the gas station and kills the gas station customer, he chooses to torment her life. With her daily planner in her phone, Tom sets out to meet with Andy, Rachel’s friend, and divorce attorney.
When he finds out Andy is a divorce attorney representing Rachel, Tom is triggered by hearing that Andy blames the husband. Tom kills Andy in a public restaurant before Rachel can warm him.
Tom Hunts Rachel’s Family
Credit: Unhinged
Tom gives Rachel a choice to pick the next person he’ll kill. Although she suggests the client that fired her that morning, Tom decides to go to Rachel’s home instead. He meets Rachel’s brother, Fred and his fiancée, Mary.
Tom kills Mary by pushing her into Fred’s knife, ties Fred in a chair and sets him ablaze when an officer gets into the home and tries to stop him.
Rachel’s Bad Day Comes to an End
Credit: Unhinged
Rachel and her son decide to go to Rachel’s mom’s house. They figured they could easily lose Tom with the complex street arrangement in the estate. Although they succeed and Rachel successfully hits and flips Tom’s car, Tom survives and attacks Rachel.
Tom gets into Rachel’s mom’s house to find her son, Kyle. After a struggle with Rachel, Rachel kills Tom by stabbing him in the eyes.
A Lesson Learned
Credit: Unhinged
After seeing her recovering brother at the hospital, Rachel gets cut off by a reckless driver. As she proceeds to honk at the driver, she quickly recollects how her day has gone so far. As she refrains from honking, Kyle agrees with her decision by saying, “Good choice.”first wide theatrical release in that year
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