Sharp Corner

Directed by Jason Buxton, Sharp Corner follows a meek, henpecked family man (Ben Foster’s Josh) as he becomes obsessed with the dangerous curve in front of his house. It’s an intriguing premise that’s employed to low-key yet predominantly compelling effect by Buxton, as the filmmaker, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a quietly (and increasingly) intense character study that boasts, at its core, a committed, riveting performance by Foster – with the actor’s fascinatingly oddball turn anchoring the proceedings on a regular basis (and even providing the picture with its few comedic moments). And while the picture admittedly does suffer from some lulls (and a narrative that contains few real surprises), Sharp Corner, which undoubtedly kicks off with a memorable, striking pre-credits stretch, generally comes off as a solid drama that functions best as a showcase for Foster’s remarkably hypnotic turn as the progressively unhinged central character.

*** out of ****