Just about everyone loves a good thriller - director Steven Soderbergh seemingly most of all. His latest film, "Side Effects," is a topsy-turvy tale of money and deceit, a cynical examination of the dark business behind the countless anti-depressive meds that flood our veins and airwaves. Though it's ultimately limited by the constraints of the genre, "Side Effects" is more than just a puzzle of murder and corporate intrigue, making for a taut, character-driven mystery about a sub-culture that would almost be comical if it wasn't so dark and twisted. For Soderbergh fans who expect more than the usual Hollywood routine, "Side Effects" is a smart and sophisticated thriller that is a stronger ending away from being a gem.
Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) lives a stressful life when we meet her at the beginning of "Side Effects." With her husband (Channing Tatum) about to be released from prison after a short stint for insider trading, she seems concerned that her life can have a semblance of normalcy. With the pressure inside her own head building, one day she takes out her frustration by slamming her car straight into a concrete wall. When the investigators realize there are no skid marks at all, the only conclusion is that she's a suicide risk. From there, thanks to a psychiatric field that seems to be of limited imagination, it's time for the heavy medication.
Looking over her shoulder is Dr. Banks (Jude Law), a bright, ambitious psychiatrist who just bought an expensive flat in a chic part of Manhattan. Though he may have gotten into psychiatry to truly delve into his patients' many problems, these days he's more like a drug rep with a high salary and a fancy diploma on the wall. In a chilling early scene, Banks and his colleagues listen to a pitch from a pharmaceutical saleswoman, and we realize that the science has long-since played second fiddle to corporate checkbooks.
At another point, Banks coldly explains that a new drug he's prescribing simply tells the brain it's not sad anymore. If one drug doesn't work, there are dozens of other ones to try, and his job seems to be little more than waiting for his patients to stop babbling so he can proscribe the latest superdrug. When he discusses the various drug options with fellow psychiatrist Dr. Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones), we understand that they've just about given up.
Emily, meanwhile, seems to be his latest guinea pig as she bounces around from one medication to the next. One drug keeps her up, another makes her sleepwalk and do bizarre things like make breakfast in the middle of the night. Her husband is fairly patient, but it's exhausting having a wife who seems to be headed to the loony bin. If Dr. Banks doesn't pull through with the right meds, something could go terribly, terribly wrong.
Once we're embedded in Soderbergh's cynical world of corporate influence and financially pragmatic psychiatrists, we're really being setup for a story that is much darker and more manipulative than it seemed on the surface. When a disturbing event shoots the plot into unexpected territory, the audience is left to retrace their steps and see if there isn't more than meets the eye.
Is Emily merely a troubled girl in the wrong place at the wrong time? Is Dr. Banks responsible for his patients' actions while they're on meds designed to fundamentally alter their brain chemistry? Are the drug conglomerates truly to blame? Like most good thrillers, "Side Effects" first draws us to the lives of our characters and only later gets down to the important twists and turns that define the movie.
But even though Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Burns do a slick job of not tipping their hand, the savvy and experienced thriller fan will probably see a few trends well before the plot actually plays out. In a movie of this type, even the ones as well done as "Side Effects," there aren't many wasted elements, and you can bet that just about everything comes back into play sooner or later.
Yet even for those who manage to see the ending before it arrives, there is still enough social commentary and character complexity to make it worthwhile. After nailing her role as Lisbeth Salander in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Mara once again manages to come off as both vulnerable and dangerous at the same time, an enigmatic but tortured soul who is difficult to pin down. Jude Law is also effective as a psychiatrist who on the surface is intelligent, kind-hearted and professional, but one easily bought and manipulated. As Dr. Banks gets brought back down to Earth after riding the lucrative coattails of his pharmaceutical sponsors, it's interesting to watch him squirm as he attempts to get his life back on track.
Despite treading in familiar territory, though, "Side Effects" separates itself from other contemporary thrillers by being honest about its many characters and avoiding the good guy vs. bad guy routine. More importantly, Dr. Banks gives us an entry into a world where trying to understand a patient's afflictions is cast aside, taking a backseat to obscene consulting bonuses and a never-ending array of medications that coldly calculate a brain's response.
Soderbergh has crafted a film that asks us whether we're actually interested in finding the truth and dealing with depression, or whether it's more important to continue a lavish lifestyle once you've gotten a taste of it. "Side Effects" may end up a touch too conventional to be one of Soderbergh's best, but it also has enough character depth and cynicism to illuminate a dark reality that many of us would rather pretend doesn't even exist.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.