Unthinkable is a 2010 thriller film directed by Gregor Jordan and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Michael Sheen. The film explores the themes of torture, terrorism, and the limits of constitutional law in protecting national security.
The film begins with a video sent to the US government by a convert to Islam, who goes by the name Yusuf. The video shows Yusuf in a nondescript storage room, surrounded by what appear to be nuclear bombs. Yusuf gives the US government less than a week to meet his demands, or he will detonate the bombs, causing mass destruction and loss of life.
Helen Brody, an FBI agent in Los Angeles, is assigned to the case. She partners with a CIA consultant known only as H, who is known for his extreme methods of interrogation. H is tasked with interrogating Yusuf, while Brody works to locate the bombs before they can be detonated.
H quickly realizes that Yusuf is unlike any suspect he has ever encountered. Yusuf seems to be prepared for the interrogation, and shows no fear or hesitation in the face of extreme torture. H becomes increasingly aggressive in his methods, using waterboarding, electric shock, and other forms of torture to break Yusuf's will.
Brody, who has a strong moral compass and is deeply opposed to torture, watches in horror as H becomes more and more brutal. She questions whether the Constitution is worth sacrificing in the name of national security, and whether torturing Yusuf will truly lead them closer to finding the bombs.
As the clock ticks down, the tension builds to a thrilling and gut-wrenching climax. The film asks difficult questions about the use of torture, the balance between personal freedom and national security, and the lengths to which we are willing to go in order to protect ourselves from terrorism. Ultimately, Unthinkable leaves the audience to grapple with these questions, and decide for themselves where they stand on these complex issues.
