Movie Review: Unthinkable (2010)


The videotape rolls: “My name is Yusuf Mohammad, my former name is Steven Arthur Younger, and I have planted three nuclear bombs across the country. They will detonate unless my demands are met.” He then points the camera at exhibit A, looking suspiciously like a nuclear bombs with oh, I should say, about 4.5 pounds of uranium capable of killing 10 million people. The bombs are due to go off in three days time.

First off, let me get the inevitable comparison out of the way. Unthinkable is 24: The Movie, by any other name, but Jack Bauer is replaced (perhaps fittingly) by not one but two people. First, we have Agent Brody (Carrie-Anne Moss) of, yes, the CTU. She’s the logical, calm side of counter terrorism. Representing the hawks, so to speak, is H. (Samuel L. Jackson) who, when we first meet him, is casually disarming and gaffer-taping two FBI agents who have the audacity to knock at his door. The FBI have called in H., you see, because Younger has willingly let himself be arrested so as to face his enemy knowing full well the sort of interrogations he can expect to have to endure. So, we have the nuclear scenario, the ticking countdowns, the torture porn, and Muslim fanaticism. We just need Chloe to upload the schematics to Jack’s PDA to complete the set.

The CTU, the FBI and the military have all moved to a secure area, a high-school gymnasium, where they present Younger in a holding tank, centre-stage. He is being casually worked over by an army interrogator: Sleep deprivation, hot and cold torture, a bit of the ol’ psychological stuff, but nothing untoward. It’s still too much for peacenik Brody, though, who cites the Geneva Convention and other do-gooder citizens rights. As the song goes, she ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. H. steps in, muttering something like “amateurs” as he goes, and for his opening gambit cuts off two of Younger’s fingers. “You have to make them believe you have no limits”, he tells the horrified onlookers as he straps electrodes to Younger’s private and presumably shrivelled parts. This is not 24; simply shouting the witness into submission is not going to work here.

Brody and H. team up in a good-cop/bad-cop way, both of them trying to find the location of the bombs. Younger, though, is ex-military and a tough nut to crack. When not gently interrogating Younger, Agent Brody instructs the rest of her team to go on any clues they might have – the wife, perhaps, or the locations on the tape. The clock is ticking…

Unthinkable is a well-written movie that works despite some average direction. For example, the characters, despite being senior officials in their chosen fields, speak that dumbed-down language that we so often see in identikit movies. They constantly feel the need to spell out exactly what it is that they’re doing, for fear that we, the viewer, might miss something important or technical. At one point, Agent Brody unrolls a map — a giant map is always handy in such situations — and tries to deduce the locations of the bombs. “New York, I would think”, she says, “And on the West Coast perhaps LA. In the middle, maybe Chicago or Dallas.” The map: Worth its weight in gold again.

Michael Sheen, formerly seen primarily as an impersonator in movies such as Frost/Nixon, The Queen and The Damned United, is the pick of the actors here. His Younger is a man with conviction, a man with the destinies of millions of people in his hands, and an unflinching drive to remove the troops from Islamic nations. Jackson revels in his role of torturer/interrogator — think Olivier’s Szell in Marathon Man, times a hundred — but the winner in this movie is writer Peter Woodward (son of Edward) who has written a screenplay that transcends it’s rather average re-telling. Flaws or no flaws, I was intrigued from start to finish.

Critical Movie Critic Rating:
3 Star Rating: Average

3

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'Movie Review: Unthinkable (2010)' have 109 comments

  1. The Critical Movie Critics

    May 25, 2010 @ 8:39 am Tiki

    The movie left a bad feeling in me.
    Almost like “if they would’ve kept on with the tortureplan, everything could have come out OK”
    … a sickening idea.

  2. The Critical Movie Critics

    May 25, 2010 @ 8:55 pm ilikeit

    I love the ending. Do the math. It’s not hard.

  3. The Critical Movie Critics

    May 26, 2010 @ 1:25 pm Colin Harris

    I agree with Tiki, and I think that that was the point of the movie – is torture justified to save the life of 10 million people and, if so, is it justified to save the life of a thousand, a hundred, or even just one?

  4. The Critical Movie Critics

    May 29, 2010 @ 2:28 am orange cinema

    i don’t think the dumbed down language is a directing flaw – that would always be on the writer. but if perhaps the deliveries were ruining good lines, or even making bad lines worse – then that would be more suitably worthy of the ‘average directing’ claim.

    side note: there is actually an actress from this most recent season of 24: Necar Zadegan. she is certainly someone to watch, I just hope she’s able to break away from the pigeon hole casting she’s found herself in, as the girl has ALOT more to deliver than simply the run of the mill middle eastern wife/woman roles she has been landing. but at the start of a career, there’s certainly nothing to complain about.

  5. The Critical Movie Critics

    May 31, 2010 @ 4:56 am not-impressed

    How can anyone like the ending to this film? The 4th nuclear bomb goes off… its sick. The dates that read on each bomb is 2012. This american terrorist propaganda needs to stop, its utter bullS*#*

  6. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 2, 2010 @ 10:35 am Christian Toto

    This is a real head scratcher – I have no idea why the film couldn’t land a theatrical release. It seems like a highly marketable concept with grade A actors. I’m going to try to make some calls on this and hopefully get closer to the answers …

  7. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 2, 2010 @ 11:08 am General Disdain

    This is a real head scratcher – I have no idea why the film couldn’t land a theatrical release.

    I’d guess it has to do with the subject matter; distributors probably didn’t want to touch it . . .

  8. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 2, 2010 @ 5:25 pm platonic

    I can’t believe there’s people out there who like this film. It’s boring from start to finish. They knew how much plutonium that guy stole but don’t ask where the rest is until this torture guy “reveals” it? How stupid is that?

    This film doesn’t even have a story. It’s just 90 minutes of torture bullshit.

    “How far would you go” bla bla bla. That idea would have been good for some minutes of the film, but the whole thing??

    Come on…

  9. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 4, 2010 @ 10:29 pm Richard

    what people need to realise is this isn’t real, writers wrote this so don’t watch this and start thinking torture is ok because it isn’t. The amount of innocent people that have been tortured just because they’ve been allowed to be tortured is probably in the tens of thousands.

  10. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 5, 2010 @ 10:07 am marie

    It’s easy to look at the flaws of the movie as to details (on the plutonium count) as well as to the tone (boring), as PLATONIC points out.

    What we’re missing out is the effect this film has. GENERAL DISDAIN is right. Distributors wouldn’t want to touch a subject like this. Clearly, because it is delicate in all angles. For that, the movie deserves a commendation.

    What it does is force people to think and take sides. Sure, torture is globally recognized as conceptually wrong. But when you place it in a context such as national (or global) security, do you change your mind? There goes the rub. This movie pushes you to cross your conceptual boundaries and decide.

    In the end, you resolve. You either find justification for a taboo concept, or your inclination that it is wrong is fortified. Then you begin to look back at all the characters of the movie and either begin to understand why people act that way or begin to draw solid lines as to your concepts of good and bad behavior and/or beliefs.

    And for a movie to be able to do this is, indeed, a powerful one.

  11. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 6, 2010 @ 4:18 am Roger

    The title says it all, unthinkable. The first message of this film is clearly that torture is totally useless. Actually Younger is brutally tortured during the whole movie but he does not reveale anything to his sadic persecutor. So what’s the second message? Well, if you really want to obtain some results, it is necessary to go further and torture innocent people. Women and children with no exceptions and no limits. This must be insane with no justifications for anybody. I personnally would never accept to have my life, and the life of my family, saved by these means. Never!

  12. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 6, 2010 @ 8:42 am Colin Harris

    Strong words, Roger! Both are innocent – your family and the family of the terrorist – but I’m not sure I could ever say what I could or couldn’t do when it comes to my family.

  13. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 10, 2010 @ 10:41 pm S

    It was very depressing movie.
    Movie did not give any meaning. From starting to end everything was expected and thinkable.. I actually did not understand what was unthinkable in that movie.

    I will not recommend this movie to any of my friends.

  14. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 15, 2010 @ 12:11 pm shiv

    Movie is good. Andthe message is thousands of people killed everyday in war gripped countries. like iraq, afganistan, srilanka…. The message from that terrorist is ” you people see, like this way only my people got tortures from your army. pls stop this. just think!”

  15. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 18, 2010 @ 12:37 pm Cymbol

    I thought the movie was really good. The end, even though I would have liked some closure, was interesting and thought provoking. Millions of people would have been saved if they H continue the torture…but they didn’t. Now, who would have been doing the unthinkable? Would it be the terrorist by killing millions of people? Or would it be H by torturing one man and his family…4 people. Now, having the bomb go off won’t only kills millions of people, but it will effect the friends and family of the people killed from it.
    So which is the the right thing to do…let millions of people die…or prevent that from happening by doing the “unthinkable”?

  16. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 21, 2010 @ 4:54 am Samuel

    I am not a fan of suspense movies by any means but this film and its’ direction were top notch. Acting, story, dimensional characters, and a nice small upsetting turn towards the end. But in all seriousness people I would have done the ‘unthinkable’ to his children if I knew he had a third bomb, as H did. We elected these officials into these positions to make decisions for us that we obviously feel we as citizens are not capable to make so don’t go getting a conscious just because you had a front row seat to what is really done to get the answers we need to keep this great country going. So what if that makes us no better then them. Would you rather 10 million lives be lost so you can keep your conscious clean, as agent Brody did. If you said yes then I hope you are not in a position of authority because then I would have real reason to be worried. Grow up accept the reality and let’s keep doing EVERYTHING we NEED to do keep our country safe.

  17. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 23, 2010 @ 3:36 am Joshua

    I agree with Samuel 100%. That is just being selfish. My conscious says this is wrong, so I am going to let millions of people die because of it? Both decisions are unthinkable. A: How could you kill millions of people with a bomb? B: How can you stop the operation that would have led to those millions of people being saved. Taking those children out of that room was not saving them. Death is inevitable, those bombs were going to kill EVERYBODY.

  18. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 23, 2010 @ 11:50 am Rich

    I just saw this movie last night and thought it was awesome. It kept my interested from start to finish and i thought the acting was great. This is one of the better movies i’ve seen in the past couple of months.

  19. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 24, 2010 @ 3:27 am Choice

    There is a line in the movie said by Officer Helen Broody that really brings out the entire soul, spirit, and POINT of this movie. For those of you who asked “Whats was the creator of this movie thinking? And what was his message?”, listen up.

    In the final scene where ‘H’ states that he will not bring the kids in (for a second time) to try and coax the 4th bomb’s location out of the terrorist, UNLESS Officer Broody gives him permission, she screams these words:

    “You cant do this! We’re fucking human beings! Let the bomb go off, we can’t do this!”

    I think her point was made by those words. There are times when we have 2 options as human beings, when being threatened by a large force.

    We can do the right thing, and leave his kids out of it and follow regulatory interrogation techniques. Or we can be evil, and do what we saw here in this film; torture, kill, threaten, and use fear to get results.

    Basically….we can all die as good people who did the right thing, or we can live as horrid people who ‘did what they had to’ to survive. Choice in yours.

  20. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 27, 2010 @ 3:19 pm bobsuncorp

    I agree with Choice. There is “human being” in the biological/evolutionary sense, then there is human being in the moral sense. And when torture of this kind (to terrorists let alone their families) is countenanced, we are no longer human beings.

    H’s point about torture being used since the dawn of man so it must work is fallacious. After all rape, slavery, murder, genocide, these are all elements that have been with us for just as long, and the entire point of religion and governments is to try and impose rules on ourselves so these actions do not happen.

    In the TV show Lie To Me, Tim Roth’s character said a line that has stuck with me whenever I consider this issue: “Do you know what they call a government that suspends the rules every time there is an emergency? A Dictatorship”.

    To all those who thought this film was boring, go and rewatch Saw. And don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll be making real snuff movies soon enough.

  21. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 27, 2010 @ 10:46 pm bobup

    It’s a perfect recruitment video for Islamic terrorists. Cut out the 20 minutes of ‘justification’ and it pretends to show how badly we treat ‘suspects’, especially anyone who is Islam. If anything is going to enrage the Islamic world against us it will be Hollywood, for profit. Remember, we know it’s ‘Hollywood’ other people seeing this out of context do not.

    No point, No redeeming value, disappointed with everyone involved…..

  22. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 30, 2010 @ 2:33 am J

    Roger posted a response on: June 6, 2010 | Reply

    “The title says it all, unthinkable. The first message of this film is clearly that torture is totally useless. Actually Younger is brutally tortured during the whole movie but he does not reveale anything to his sadic persecutor. So what’s the second message? Well, if you really want to obtain some results, it is necessary to go further and torture innocent people. Women and children with no exceptions and no limits. This must be insane with no justifications for anybody. I personnally would never accept to have my life, and the life of my family, saved by these means. Never!”

    Seriously Roger? You should really listen to how foolish you sound trying to make yourself appear as the sin-less hero. ROGER is a perfect example of a self-righteous moron. Anyone who have walked upon third world countries, along with facing difficult decisions that are immoral can tell who are the ignorant naive holier than thou idiots. Ignorant idiots such as Roger, can only talk about being the clean white knight due to their own stupidity derived from their ignorance.

  23. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 2, 2010 @ 5:35 am PatricMan

    So those of you who watched Unthinkable agree that American interrogation techniques may work?

  24. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 3, 2010 @ 2:37 pm Frank Ritz

    I was surprised by this movie! I thought it just looked stupid and a rip-off of 24 and every other bomb movie ever made. I ended up liking it quite a bit, more than you actually. I’d give it a, Not Bad. Samuel is just a awesome bad-ass and Michael was great. Good movie, good review.

  25. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 4, 2010 @ 8:26 am sharu

    u r definitely a moron roger.
    u think the torture made by H is useless and that silly broody is a great lady who thinks she is the only human in that team?
    do u know terrorists of Islamic country are much more worst than these interrogators haven’t u watched those videos on youtube and stuff regarding the torture of terrorists to innocent ppl.do u know a kid of just 10 yrs is a real threat to a nation if e has undergone a training in terrorist camp?i saw a video on how they r trained in terrorist camp. if i were to b in that position may b i wouldn’t have gone that far to kill those children but i would make that fuc*** younger to believe i would torture much more that what was done to him b4
    come on guys wake up see the torture videos done by those fuc*** terrorists .don’t u think v have all the rights to torture terrorists in the same way?

  26. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 4, 2010 @ 11:19 pm PatricMan

    Regardless, of everyone’s opinion, if H would have been given free hand all the way to the end, 10 million life would have been saved. That’s a fact. But then again, it’s just a movie, so cool down everyone ;)

  27. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 8, 2010 @ 10:59 am Morpheus

    The moview is delivers a PowerFul Message

    “H” and the Goons around him represent the US Govt and its Foreign Policies

    “Brody” Represents normal Peace Loving People and Some Open Minded Americans

    “Yusuf” Represents All the People (Muslims) Subjugated to Occupations, Bommbings, Robbery from their Land.

    In the End Nobody Wins. Go Figure.
    Do What Yusuf Demanded. Was it to much to ask?
    He Wanted Peace for ALL. Nothing Else.

  28. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 9, 2010 @ 2:59 am KittyKat

    Excellent movie! It was intense! It did a great job of presenting the ultimate conundrum…how do people of conscience deal with murdering Muslim savages? Obviously, the answer is, you can’t. Savage behavior requires a savage response, whether we like it or not. The movie obviously left the idea that the Muslim terrorist’s weak spot was his children. H even noted that in the movie, that every man lies, and he would find the lie in the man he was torturing. Even the killing of the terrorist’s wife didn’t make him crack. The movie left you with the idea that had H gone all the way with the kids, and maimed or killed at least one of them in their father’s presence, the terrorist would’ve cracked and told the location of the 4th bomb, saving millions of lives.

    And now for a real story…I once knew of a tank commander who was in the lead tank that rolled into a town, and was confronted in the middle of the road by a child holding a rocket launcher, pointing it at the tank. Adults lined the street, taunting the commander. In a split second, he had to make the choice whether to kill the child or not. He chose not to, and the child fired the rocket launcher, burning to death most everyone in that tank. Those that lived, including the tank commander, suffered debilitating and disfiguring burns, some to the point that they had no ears, fingers or eyelids. It’s the same conundrum. How does one deal with savage behavior? Savage behavior requires a savage response…unflinching, with no mercy, no recoil. And that’s why we have black ops. So, they can do the dirty work that “normal” people don’t have the stomach to do, in order to insure the security of our nation and the safety of our citizens.

    I think this quote from the movie, The Wrath of Khan says it best, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” In war (and we are at war with the violent part of Islamic ideology that foments terrorism) there always will be collateral damage on the receiving end, and the idea is to minimize it as much as possible.

  29. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 12, 2010 @ 10:45 am flash

    its not about doing math; its about to be a human or to live in the jungle ; i prefer to be a human and to die like one

  30. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 12, 2010 @ 10:25 pm PatricMan

    So some of you prefer to be human and to die like one – In a nuclear blast?

  31. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 19, 2010 @ 4:45 am yuseff

    tourture shud be used in order justified in the means of a grater cause also justify deseption of a terorist that has been caught and and admits to terrorisim….

  32. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 19, 2010 @ 5:12 am leon

    making decision is the hardest thing to do in life because it always asks us pay back later. If agent Broody decide to leave the children to be used in the interrogation for the 4th bomb, she might have to live with it forever although millions of people saved.
    However, she doesn’t have time to think that much at the very moment, and in a second, she made her decision and that decision effects the world – life, which is unthinkable itself but many people might forget it. Really! such a competent agent may breaks off anytime (event with very tiny possibility) and make unthinkable action just showing us that this world is not for us to control by thinking and thinking continuously.

  33. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 19, 2010 @ 8:33 am bobsuncorp

    The greatest thing about this movie is how it has caused the debate we are all having, since it is through such debate that we find answers, if any are to be found. I personally think that is why the movie was made, not that the writer was trying to say one or other side is right, simply that it needs to be discsussed.

    My opinion is that the competing factors of self preservation and preservation of loved ones is in competition with the responsibility to future generations to be better people. Do you think that members of civil rights movementss didn’t have to make sacrifices? To say nothing of those living in a medieval society trying to prove that a peasants life is worth as much as a noblemans. The only reason we are able to discuss such matters is because we have the freedom to do so, and we have that freedom because our ancestors have made personal and tragic sacrifices for the benefit of their descendants. Which is us. So in gratitude to those sacrifices we have a responsibility to keep one eye on the future and be continually trying to improve the morality of the human race.

    It would be very easy to give into anger and fear and do everything to preserve those we love at the expense of those trying to hurt us, especially if their moral code gives them no such limitations, but to do so is both a betrayal of those who have sacrificed for us and a continuance of the kind of violence that threatens to drown us in blood and hate. The cycle must end, and waiting for the other side to end it first is useless.

    We must be continually trying to improve ourselves, and worry less about killing and torturing who we must to keep breathing, since that is also setting an example to our descendants. The kind of example that took hundreds of years of slow painful progress to undo in the first place. The jobs not over yet, not by a long way, so lets not turn back after all we have already accomplished.

  34. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 19, 2010 @ 12:19 pm Ronaldo

    Interesting, thought provoking movie. Seems to be very polarizing.
    The question seems to be whether it’s okay to torture one or a few in order to save many? The writer seems to fall on the side that torture doesn’t really work, and is ineffective at deterring such actions. I might agree to the extent of the determination and resolve of the individual that’s committing the act. Truth is, almost everyone has a breaking point and can be made to spill. But, as a moral society, is it right for us to do such things in order to save a few lives? The question might be better asked if it were brought to a personal level. What if the terrorist was about to kill your family members? What lengths would you personally go to in order to save their lives? Would you take his life in order to save theirs, or would you threaten and even kill one of his family members in order to save one of yours?

  35. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 23, 2010 @ 12:08 pm Jeremy

    While the extremity of the movie DID make it all the more effective, in my opinion it at times crossed the line into ridiculous. For instance at one point in the movie an innocent character is violently killed for no reason other than to advance the interogation: I very much doubt this would be allowed in reality.

  36. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 25, 2010 @ 12:32 am JN

    How many here have watched Zeitgeist the movie?
    http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com

  37. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 27, 2010 @ 11:42 pm Boyd

    The ending to me seemed clear enough ..he knows he’ll likely never see his kids again right? He’ll either be sentenced to death or life in prison, so he takes the easy road out and kills himself. Clearly there was no 4th bomb? Why would he say look after my children if he was going to know they would die in the explosion? It took me about ten minuites after I watched to put it together but really it’s not that hard. “H” did his job by getting the locations of the bombs and all points were proved.

  38. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 30, 2010 @ 9:47 pm Pav

    Boyd, has it never crossed your mind that the 4th nuclear bomb was in a completely different city, away from his children? After all, his children won’t be persecuted (by the government anyway) for their father’s actions, so his suicide was his easy way out of having to LIVE with the consequences of his actions.

  39. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 6, 2010 @ 12:04 pm dude

    I think it was a relatively well-done film (on the technical aspect of it and for being entertaining) but with a bad purpose. What it did apparently, was to leave a perception that all tortures under Bush and others are always sort of justifiable by putting the viewer in a hard situation of choosing between; torturing (as far as torturing two kids) or death of 10,000,000 people. That is the ridiculous part; such an exaggeration. We must now take sides although in reality they had probably never had to deal with such situations. At the same time, it s damn clear that it s just another propaganda against the poor muslims. What about the muslim terrorists here and there? If you see good, really good, you always find links and roots of them with some dirty politics and CIA. I know myself a couple of muslims. They are just normal people like you and me. So in the end, those politicians who allowed tortures and those ignorant who think being a muslim means automatically being a terrorist are most happy with this film.

  40. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 10, 2010 @ 7:57 am jelena213

    and another thing, I just read the comment, and I completely agree with Morpheus, there are no winners in war.

  41. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 10, 2010 @ 7:49 am jelena213

    I can not beleive that the people can see only one side of the medal. This movie reveiled a message to the western countries, especially USA, on the obviously wrong and highly unmoral policy that they are implementing in the east, especially muslim oil countries! By ways of aggresion, manipulation and other lowes manners, they are living with high standards on other people backs, better to say other people blood and starvation.

    What was H suppose to do? Nothing that has’nt been done already accross the world. Just look at this data, and tell me who is supporting this kind of regimes and why?!!!!
    cheers

  42. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 10, 2010 @ 11:03 pm hegemonyofthecores

    I agree with jelena, if the US wars of aggression did a justification for the 911 bombing, it did more than just that. What yussof said of 50+ people being killed each day by US military advances is quite true, it may not amount to the same figures but it is true (translated into various barbarity – genocides, murder and other unaccounted extra-judicial acts).. though, i don’t agree with his means to justify the end. But what i see is a desperation of a people stripped of their land, home and rights and that there is a threshold in their suffering. His demands are timely and justified; war is never without its atrocities.

  43. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 11, 2010 @ 1:53 am MARIO

    Men the 4 bomb was in the same building , so the people that reset 1 bomb also was gonna die, at the end the 10.000.000 DIE . So that show us that sometimes think Happend dont matter what you do and in how many ways you interfers Sometimes the destiny is to happend. good movie !! I DONT LIKE THE ENDING I THINK THEY had many ways to make the endingto make the movie a 10/10 movie or increase the likeness of the movue. sorry about my english i am a MUSLIM and i place 3 bombs in 3 computer of you that comment here. LOL jajajaj Is a joke take it easy

  44. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 11, 2010 @ 8:47 pm bobsuncorp

    Mario, the scary thing is that you can’t even joke about that stuff anymore. Echelon has recorded your comment and traced your IP address and the FBI will be calling at your house. That combined with the sister of the cousin of an old college roomate who was once taught by the brother of a student of a cousin of a member of someone on the terrorist watchlist (because he once tried to throw an egg at Bush) means that you could be Rendered.

    Obviously I am not serious, but my point is that these things happen. Also how scary is it that there is actually a commonly recognised word for the abduction and imprisonment and torture of a citizen in complete disregard of their human and civil rights?

  45. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 12, 2010 @ 10:17 am Caesar

    This movie is just another example of predictive programming. Its message is totally irrelevant, it’s only meant to soften your mind up for scenarios like this happening in real life.
    Through reflection, repetition and debate you will come to see it as inevitable reality. By thinking about it you make that what was previously unthinkable, thinkable.

  46. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 13, 2010 @ 12:13 pm jelena213

    It is only thinkable for does who see the movie as agression vs agrression =justification.
    I see the movie as a clear message to stop the violence, cause it is not real, normal, human (whatever) to be in a situation to decide what is better: to kill 3 people of to let 10 to be killed! Life is life, and precious for everybody.
    Let people live their lives, and stop the madness!

    This is what USA public should try to push, because they have pulled a lot of hatred upon themselves.
    If the movie results in more fear of terrorists and more aggresion towards other countries, this might really happen!

  47. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 17, 2010 @ 5:29 am WH

    You guyz dont get it, the message is obvious and very clear, it is revealed towards the end of the movie when Younger caused 52 people’s death in a minor explosion, he starts screaming “You expect me to weep over 52 civilians when YOU kill that number everyday?”.

    Personally I loved this movie, it had more than one message in it; shows us how f**cked up we can be.

  48. The Critical Movie Critics

    September 2, 2010 @ 3:55 am Yasser

    In the name of Allah the merciful,and his prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. My name is Yasser and my former name is Jason, and I’m an American Citizen. :p

    I like the way movie starts, but I said to myself “Holy shit, another hollywood movie ’bout Islam”. But Honestly guys, there are clear messages in this movie :

    1- American Military kills punch of innocent people everyday. and if you do the math they would kill punch of million by now since war started.

    2- They could save 10.000.000 lives + Younger wife if they would listen to Younger’s demand. there’s nothing about it. it was realistic, reasonable and rational, and it’s just what everybody’s demand, that our troops come back home. The war has ended.

    3- Open your mind, the 4th bomb was in 3rd location which they had already disarmed the 3rd bomb there.

    4- We’re humans. and if we accept to kill those innocent poor children, we’re not. we’re no longer far than terrorists. coz that what terrorists do.

    5- The Unthinkable could be “H wouldn’t kill Younger’s wife but he did” or “The 4th bomb was just in the same building if they would search” maybe “The whole mess, it’s unthinkable” it could be a lot of things.

    well, I’m Muslim myself. I’m normal guy. and I just can’t understand why Hollywood can’t stop connecting Terrorism to Islam. Terrorists are many, and Terrorism just has no religion. And we Muslims believe that Terrorists are not Muslims. because in our Holy Book “Quran” there’s a clear announcement that “whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind” . and I didn’t like the way that Younger tried to prove his opnion or to deliver his message, I’m totaly against it. but the message was clear and perfect, Peace. That what we all want, peace. No matter what we are, Muslims, Christians, Jwish or whatever. we all want peace. all of our religions are ’bout peace.

    that’s it .
    Peace,
    Yasser

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    September 5, 2010 @ 7:34 pm WORD

    terrorism is war for poor people,
    war is terrorism for rich people….think about it

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    September 6, 2010 @ 2:49 am Yasser

    well WORD, I believe you summarized it all in 3 words.
    War is Terrorism . :)

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    September 13, 2010 @ 12:59 pm dez

    ok loook the point of that movie was to show you are the American think about what happens in Iraq and Afghanistan and a lot of country that your army damage and killing, raping women and killing children you see you don’t want this things happens to you so the unthinkable thing is how you thinking.and allah bless whole the world …
    am Muslim and am proud

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    September 16, 2010 @ 9:23 am the third scenario

    There is a third possible scenario, that is more difficult to confront.

    It is moral in different ways to justify the unthinkable, if it will clearly save millions of innocent, or to refuse to do the unthinkable for one of many reasons.

    But for those who would do the unthinkable to save millions, they must face the possibility that they will save no one, that THERE IS NO FOURTH BOMB.

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    September 16, 2010 @ 9:59 pm PatricMan

    What are some guys mumbling about? Of course, the fourth bomb goes off, that’s the very ending. Guys, smoke more and you feel better, trust me ;)

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    September 24, 2010 @ 9:39 pm Ace

    People need to think beyond the options in the film, i can give you the an option.

    If the West don’t interfere in the muslim lands, or any lands for that matter, then there would be no issues in the world in regards to terrorism. Don’t think about this from the religious perspective think logically if i attack someone, rob their lands, rape their women, have torture place like camp x-ray, and all the secret places of of torture throughout Europe, have shares in oil companies at the expence of tens of thousands of people killed. IRAQ, (oil) Afganistan. (gas+location).

    ……Then one day someone might want to attack you.

    Moral of the story.

    Fix forign policy and there will be peace.

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    September 25, 2010 @ 10:14 am movierater

    To jenna213 and morpheus….are any of u people even in or have served in the military? Have any of you been over there and seen what their culture is like? They train children and women to attack our troops. The movie depicts the fact that until be think and act like them they will win. They win in the end because the 4th bomb goes off, millions of our people killed. Im sure in the sequel they will build a mosque next to the city that he blew up!

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    September 28, 2010 @ 1:06 pm hello

    How is this even a serious question? One side of the equation, we have nukes, which if detonated, will kill millions instantly. They will cause long term ecological damage, probably making USA uninhabitable. The longterm damage of detonating 3 (4) nukes in major US cities far outweigh the morals of torturing two innocent children. If this scenario was real, im sure the president himself would come in and torture the kids to prevent the nukes from going off. Basic logic guys, potential ww3 + millions lost > 2 kids

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    September 28, 2010 @ 3:02 pm Awsum

    In he end of the movie Shutter island, DiCaprio says something along the lines of “I’m not sure which is better, to die as a good man or live as a monster”

    I think that is the question this movie is making: Live as a monster and save millions, or die as a good human being and take millions with you.

    It’s a common subject, for example batman in the Dark Knight has to take the actions of two-face to his account to keep peace in Gotham city. Hence, live as a monster

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    September 29, 2010 @ 1:43 am PatricMan

    Love the comments of “hello”. Finally someone had the guts to say what really would happen.

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    October 3, 2010 @ 1:27 pm Pat

    Our recuring difficulty is to seperate how to manage the legacy of centuries of distrust toward mankind and his ability to progress, and our believe in utopia: there are simple answers to very complex questions. The mistakes of today will reinforce the complexity of tomorrow’s problems. The more we try to justify them, the less we allow positiv options to remain available in our common future, the more we will be dependant on an ultimate securized society which will want to show efficiency and allmighty power by getting any information from anyone at any chosen time.
    Peace has to be won, to be paid for through compromises and communication. No violence will ever bring us close to it.
    Coming back to the film: terrorists need a cause to justify their acts and gather support. As long as we don’t consider the source of recognition they are depending on: to “equalize” any kind of previous injustice by connecting it to an act of utter violence toward a “chosen” community, we play their game. The more we really show that the future world depends on different cultures, religions and economic coexistances, the less terrorists can rely on their best argument: hope!

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    October 11, 2010 @ 5:37 pm Susan

    I think I’ve had my limit of doomsday type movies and 2012, nuclear weapons and end of life as we know it. I was going to watch this movie but it looks like I probably won’t be putting in my Netflix queue anymore.

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      December 23, 2016 @ 12:53 pm Clive

      Yes, it is not worth watching at all. The makes no sense at all. Your hunch is very right.

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    October 23, 2010 @ 6:42 am Pearl

    Disturbing. The “moral” center is Moss who, even at the end changed her mind and told Jackson “do what is necessary” — including torturing children. My husband was in Recon in Bosnia and the movie is one he said he does not wish to see again. It offers no answers and no solace. My opinion is that torture is always wrong– authorizing torture trusts people in power too much. Human beings are sinful. We are not to be trusted, and we are especially dangerous when in possession of unchecked power. This applies to each and every one of of us.

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    October 30, 2010 @ 8:23 pm Helen

    I will not recommend this movie to anybody… Torture is ALWAYS insane and sick!!! No reasons to justify it, never. WE have to put in our ethic some strong limits not to go over. Brutality in movies doesn’t make me feel better or increase my willing to live in this world and after this one in particular I ask to myself why should we always have to see many productions about disturbed maniacs? Is this what most of us really need to see? Let’s boycott crappy violence-porn movies!!!

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    November 2, 2010 @ 9:08 pm johann

    nobody blames the president huh?

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    November 9, 2010 @ 11:11 pm Talonator

    The movie definitely made it’s point. We are all here talking about the decisions that were made and what we would have done differently. I found myself hating agent Brody. Yes she held a moral high ground but she was putty in Yusef’s hands. Morality and stupidity do not have to go hand and hand. Several times throughout the movie her weakness led to innocent deaths. I also hate roles that depict women as emotionally weak. In that sense, it is just like the first season of 24 where all the women are weak characters except for the traitor.
    Anyways, we all know this was just an exercise and this is not the way things would really shake down but would it be justified to sacrifice two innocents to save 2 million. Operate outside of emotion and the answer is clear. Innocent children will be killed either way. If you can act and reduce the casualties then you should. If the math changes then the answer changes.

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    November 10, 2010 @ 12:07 am Talonator

    @ACE

    No matter what foriegn policy we have there will always be war. Look through human history and you’ll find that war has always been there. Terrorism is just a tactic and that has been around forever too. I am afraid that conflict is part of nature and amongst the short list of ways to deal with conflict violence is the most popular. In addition, every culture has been guilty of attacking, robbing, raping, etc. Including the muslim nations in the middle east and north africa.
    In the film, islamic extreemism is nothing more than a tool used to turn a simple question into a two hour movie. They use it to turn a math equation into a moral decision. If it were up to me, “H” would be working the entire time.

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    November 21, 2010 @ 5:50 pm Meera

    You know what’s more disturbing than the movie itself? the people who approve to what Mr. H did, and so frustrated that it didn’t continue to the actual torturing of the innocent kids, believing that torture would some how give satisfying results. Now, me and you are normal peeps (at least I am) watching this annoying movie eating popcorns not knowing how many actually are being tortured for the sake of admitting what they have not done! when the terrorist said “there were no bombs in the first place” I CRIED, and that’s a point you need to think of, what if he was innocent? AND THERE WAS NO ACTUAL THREAT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Also, there was another option, which was accepting the terrorist’s DEAL! but noooo, it’s okay to kill others, but not one of us. We think of US and THEM, and not HUMANITY. ALTHOUGH, the UNITED STATES is a MULTICULTURAL COUNTRY, it shouldn’t take sides!! Whites from Europe, Blacks from Africa, Yellows from Asia, Reds from Arabia, Indians, Russians they’re all ARE PART OF THE UNITED STATES! Another thing, I don’t believe how people went on relating TERRORISM with ISLAM, Can’t you see that what Mr. H did was considered as terrorism? Killing the innocent? He pointed it out in the movie by the way, he is as bad as the other terrorist. This all takes us to the question “Is the end really justify the means?” and this question is applied to both Yusuf and Mr. H, both of them Had “Good cause” to stand up for and “TERRORIZE”. I want to watch it again to you know go back on the questions and stuff, but I can’t.. whenever that H man goes into the room, I get ready to close my eyes and ears.. it was sick.. really sick.. what both did actually.. secular bombs to change policies? Well.. ehh.. one was trying to change the corrupt government’s policies and the other saving a country.. who knows what we would do if we were in their shoes.. I seriously need to watch something to cheer me up to get rid of the devastation all this caused me..

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    December 27, 2010 @ 1:29 am zack

    See this film is another example of anti Islamic mentality in the American film industry. Another example of creating generation who do not feel.for millions killed if they are Muslims. This film may have other message for those who can think but average american is innocent and can not think by them selves. Opera or.Dr Phil are their big spritual leaders. For those this film gives a simple message , its ok to kill Muslim children ,women any one as long as they are Muslims .

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    January 3, 2011 @ 12:37 pm thatguy

    You all looked past the true answer. Why couldn’t they just meet his demands? NO ONE would be harmed.

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    January 5, 2011 @ 8:53 pm Unthinkable

    This movie’s plot is quite good in my opinion. I would agree with ‘thatguy’ (posted above me).Why don’t they just meet his demands? Seriously, there’s no point in having US armies in other countries ‘protecting’ them or something like that. They can do it themselves and there’s always the UN out there to help them.

    However, back to the movie itself, it showed that torture was actually necessary. I’m not saying that torture SHOULD be used in interrogations, but in some situations, it IS necessary. If the ‘unthinkable’ procedure continued at the end, I have no doubts that Mr Younger would spit it all out. I absolutely abhor such methods but what else is there?

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    January 6, 2011 @ 3:53 pm holly

    movie is DISGUSTING and full of unnecessary torture scenes just to add excess shock value. we all need to stop believe everything the media says, if there is no war in the first place people like that wouldnt need to go through that. millions are being killed all over the world and the whole point of the movie was that the ”good guys” were fine with torturing and killing another human being that way to save ”their ppl” but couldnt stop killing ppl in other countries and thus save everyone without any killings! disgusting! it would have been easier to just stop the war in iraq and find out about the bombs that way

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    January 8, 2011 @ 12:21 am hellojpg

    The only thing more disturbing than the torture scenes in this movie are some of the comments posted. Torture works? Torture the kids? Are you nuts?

    You have a simple, simple mind if you think the point of the movie was that there *might* be a forth bomb and that continued torture would elucidate its location.
    A. In the extended cut there is a forth bomb and it is visibly shown counting to zero.
    B. Even the extended cut still leaves you guessing, are the two bomb locations he reveals when his children are threatened the real bombs or are they decoy bombs? Is there even time to verify such a thing?
    C. Yusuf is in control for the entire movie. One of the bomb locations is discovered because he got a parking ticket outside. If you were a savvy terrorist, would you continue to use that site as a bomb location knowing that evidence points to it? Its not just plausible but likely that Yusuf intentionally leaves the bomb there with the parking ticket evidence so that if the authorities do find a bomb on their own it will be that one and, knowing the techniques that may be employed against him, like torturing his family, he can give two false addresses along with the real one to lend credence to the false addresses. Additionally, the decoy bombs thing.

    So if your take home message was “torture and murder with no limits anything to keep me safe I’m so scared” then I’m sorry, but you should get psychological help. A bomb was going to go off no matter how many of his children had their fingernails pulled off. Torture is wrong and not effective, that’s the point of the movie, but it uses a very careful rhetorical technique to illustrate it. Sorry if you’re too stupid to pick up on that.

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    January 9, 2011 @ 11:31 pm Ja

    Very easy to conclude that there was a fourth bomb but the fourth bomb was the one they found because he wanted them to find it….he said three bombs would go off ….so he made four and knew one would be found….so when he told address he told the one found and two fakes

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    January 14, 2011 @ 5:03 pm Tushar

    AT such situation if ever arised i suggest US president and officials to fake a video saying what Younger wanted him to say and get the info out of him. they can do a lot of unthinkable deeds, y not the simple way to save people? movies should be made like that, what do u think friends?

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    January 14, 2011 @ 5:08 pm Tushar

    another funny thing is why Younger asked Brody to look after his children if the 4th bomb was to explode anyway? they all would have died right?even he wouldn’t have to suicide and just wait for the bomb to explode :-P

    • The Critical Movie Critics

      December 23, 2016 @ 12:47 pm Clive

      True. This movie makes no point at all, especially the ending. I wasted my time watching it.

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    January 16, 2011 @ 7:13 pm klunge

    i think this movie was brilliant in fact ive just planted 4 nukes of my own. u are the weakist link goodbye

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    January 20, 2011 @ 3:35 pm nickyeyez

    i loved this movie as soon as it finished. whatever flaws a critic may lay on the film i believe cant damage the fact that the story is brilliant. anyone naive enough to believe that it is so farfetched to consider, may want to look closer at what our government as well as extremists are capable of doing and may have done, especially under UNTHINKABLE circustances. im not a torture nut but sometimes we trully must choose the lesser of two evils. i sincerely hope i dont have to see this plot to realisation but i loved the movie. im eagerly hoping for a sequel to secure the storyline; and maybe give me a good nights sleep; lol. but seriously, its awsome.

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    January 23, 2011 @ 9:19 am Emory

    This was a great movie, different, made you think, and stay on your toes through the whole thing. I disagree that its a flaw in the story that only H figure there was a fourth bomb. In every aspect of life especially in times of panic, mistakes will happen and things will be overlooked. Too bad i didnt get the see the ending where the fourth bomb went off. The version i had ended with her walking out with the kids. Great movie, unpredictable all the way to the end. And without a fairy tale ending.

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    February 21, 2011 @ 5:46 pm Gin Fisher

    Watched this movie at a friends house the other night, I had never even heard of it. When did this thing come out? And this is no 24!–the amount of gore/torture had me running into the next room. Jack Bauer is not happy.

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    February 23, 2011 @ 1:44 am mohd

    as a muslim american i dont see how this movie represent me as a muslim or american what kind of picture for muslim that movie want to show and how also it serves the american picture.
    it is so stupid movie if you look what its trying to show it shows no huminty in either side it is just show hate and encarage it .
    thats what i see in the movie,i have been in usa for 12 years i love this country,i am a good citzen i belive and i am also proud to be a muslim,wanna know about what islam dont look at muslims learn about them. you can judge on the religin by learning what that religin teach not but what folwers do
    thanks all

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    February 25, 2011 @ 9:33 pm Johnston

    I love these FBI movies. Also anything with Samuel L Jackson as the lead character is going to be good in my book. I have seen this movie and it does not disappoint.

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    March 2, 2011 @ 3:08 pm شامپو فرش

    The title and the movie has opened a new window in my mind and i am still thinking about the whole topic of this movie.
    Otherwise my opinion is near to mohd’s comment. I think there should be a secure space for every religion to be judged and understood.

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    March 13, 2011 @ 5:08 pm Gashtmali

    Crap and a waste of time. An excuse to show ‘disturbing’ torture that is then milked for shock effect. So is it OK to beat the bejesus out of a guy for the greater good? Right or wrong, neither makes this movie watchable.

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    March 23, 2011 @ 10:19 am lay man

    Recently watched this movie in the TV. I Was really surprised to have watched a reasonable movie in a long time after inception/shutter island/ genre. also interesting to read the comments of various people over the film ending and the moral of the movie.
    personally i think torture is unethical but what constitutes a torture?
    is it deprivation? ( like freedom, water air or relatives!!)
    or Abundancy? ( like pain and suffering)
    If that is the case, then imprisonment is also a form of torture and abuse of human rights. So let’s close all the prisons and and the judiciary systems all around the world. If you argue that only the convicts are imprisoned, what about their children who are deprived of their parents. is it not torture?
    To the people who argues that Whatever going to happen is going to happen why bother about setting up systems in place to prevent terrorist attack.
    Depriving a paedophile is a torture as he say so why not let him/her loose in the country?
    The best person to answer this dilemma would be the ones who were or whose children were going to be killed by the nuclear bomb. And i would bet that even a single person would ask agent H to stop his techniques.
    Human beings are still animals and we still have that survival instinct that we would do unimaginable things to live – like the one in the movie who eat their friend’s corpse.
    A terrorist with such a strong mindset and preparation was able to break when he realises that his kith and kin are in danger. so imagine what a common person’s thinking will be. I think he’ll go to any extemes to save his/her own children. I also think that agent Brody would herself tortured his children if her children were in danger and she has run out of time.
    Finally my opinion is that torture is wrong so is terrorism but if there is way that we could save million innocent lives there is no wrong in doing anything unthinkable or in this case going the next step and torturing his dearest(wife, children or dogs whatever)
    But if the bomb is going to explode in another country then we need to consider ethics:)

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    March 23, 2011 @ 9:32 pm amy

    This movie is the largest waste of my time ever. Hollywood should stick to entertainment which this is not. Movies should leave you with some kind of emotion other than ‘what a waste!’

    • The Critical Movie Critics

      December 23, 2016 @ 12:35 pm Clive

      That’s exactly how I felt also, yet many people here are trying to somehow justify this excuse of a movie. The movie makes no point at all, expecially the ending. Wasted my time. Definitely will not watch it ever again.

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    March 26, 2011 @ 6:50 am Jo

    the statement ‘we can’t do this, we’re human’ means nothing as history proves the human animal is the cruellest on the planet.
    This movie was thought-provoking. The book “god (aka allah/buddha etc) is not great – how religion poisons everything” should be mandatory reading to provide a logical antidote to the danger of allowing one’s mind to be controlled by nonsense

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    April 2, 2011 @ 10:37 pm BalancedEdge

    I thought this movie in no way justified torture. Even if H had continued the torture the location of the 4th bomb may not of been given. Younger had played them the whole time, for all we know he may have been willing to give up his kids. For me the best part of this movie was that H was an understandable character, a difficult trait to achieve for a torturer. He said at about the midpoint that he was imprisoned in himself, and at the end he his told his children are being held captive. All the characters hold each other to there roles, with the question of right or wrong merely being a tactic of delaying what their roles are designed to do. I liked this movie quite a bit, has its flaws for sure, but quite a bit more thought provoking then most of the crud that is out there now.

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    April 7, 2011 @ 5:52 am Unthinkable

    Everyone keeps saying that torturing those 2 children would dehuminize us and turn us into what we are trying to combat in such a general way as if all of us are responsible in some way for that decision. We are not if this scenario were to play out in real life it would come down to the president, maybe congress for a decision. THEY would have to live with it because THEY would be giving the order to continue. That is the hard decision to become the villain and save 10 million people, or ride the moral high horse and watch as they go up in flames. You guys act as if the hard and right choice is not torturing the kids, when in reality the hard and right decision is saving those 10 million people at the cost of 2 lives, 4 if you count younger and his ex-wife. To live the rest of your live as a villain by modern societies views to save millions of lives, That is the real hero in my book.

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    April 10, 2011 @ 4:56 am Uncutg

    The 4th bomb counts down to zero before the screen goes black in the uncut version, btw.

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    April 13, 2011 @ 3:31 am SharpShtik

    Crime punishment and crime prevention are different scenarios. The latter offers opportunity. That’s what the movie is about, opportunity and what different people might do with it. The movie is sheer, usually unbelievable, theatrics, but does imply torture works and that there are no limits to how far we (at least tens of millions of Americans) would go, undoubtedly even in far less clear circumstances, and also highlights competing theoretical viewpoints. The movie qualifies as thought provoking and I offer an extension of that provocation.

    For tens of millions of Americans, if there’s a chance we could prevent ourselves, our children, parents, spouses, friends and even random Americans, illegal aliens and foreigners from being murdered, tortured, raped and especially under the clear circumstances presented in the movie with opportunity and torturing 1 to 4 people (1 guilty, 3 innocent) to save the lives of millions of innocents then there would be no limits to the torture of terrorists and their third party weaknesses (wives, children, parents, friends) we would engage in. It is not unthinkable at all. It would happen with massive disgust and torment, but without substantial hesitation. What is actually unthinkable to me is dismembering or stabbing to death a viable fetus to merely avoid inconvenience and responsibility, a very weak, insubstantial justification. If a movie showed torture to avoid mere inconvenience and responsibility (as opposed to stopping murder of millions), how many people reverse their position about torture or introduce caveats? There’s nothing but thin air (method of blood oxygenation) and a label between a viable fetus in and outside the womb. The same people who say torture is never an option, not even to save millions, are usually OK dismembering viable fetuses or stabbing them to death in the womb/birth canal to avoid inconvenience and responsibility while protecting convicted murderers from being put to sleep because it would be “cruel and unusual.” Even incapable humans relying on machines for life are still human. How many people take the irrational view that humans must be properly aged like a fine wine before torturing crosses an intellectual boundary? This will test the rationality of your justifications in one case versus another, i.e., whether you actually place the competing freedom/rights of terrorists and convicted murderers above the freedom/rights of innocent humans of all ages. Is your decision based on selfish interests, e.g., to make you feel better, or selflessly based on protecting the interests of others at actual or potential loss of your own interests?

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    April 13, 2011 @ 5:37 pm Rondo

    I feel that this lame movie tries to create a 9/11-like scenario where torture would actually be justifiable in the hopes that those who watch will equate the movie’s successful use of torture with our torture of the Guantanamo detainees. The situations are not in ANY way similar. If you come away from this movie believing that they are or believing that our torture of detainees in Guantanamo is justified, then you have taken the bait – hook, line and sinker. HATRED AND VIOLENCE ONLY BREED HATRED AND VIOLENCE. Love and respect will beget love and respect. NAMASTE.

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    April 20, 2011 @ 11:16 am helen

    the message of the movie is that murdering innocent people is perfectly fine if you are jack bauer with a hunch. This thinking is flawed.

    oh and if there was a nuclear bomb , im with the woman in the movie , let the damn thing go off — why should we lower ourselves to animal level.

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    April 30, 2011 @ 4:22 pm guy with reasoning

    Umm..by just letting the thing go off you are wasting what makes us as humans better than animals in the first place…rational decision making abilities. I would do ANYTHING to protect my son, and I’m not saying that I fault those of you that don’t have children to understand where I am coming from. People say is it worth one life to save a thousand. Honestly, I would put anyone’s and everyone’s life on the chopping block if it came to my son.

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    May 6, 2011 @ 6:45 pm omglolz

    Wow. I cannot believe some of the things being said here. Before I begin to dismantle some of the idiotic things being said here, I would like to first say that I can understand where most people are coming from.

    You see, most people cannot fathom how dark the hearts of men can be, and believe that loving everyone and waving peace signs is the answer. In an ideal world, this would be true. However, the world is not ideal.

    The world will always have evil people, and for the average person to live in this naive bubble, a small sect of people have to exact violence onto the evil. Notice that I never advocated that violence on violence is morally right. Using deadly force in self-defense can be morally wrong, but it can be JUSTIFIED.

    H killing the wife and hurting the children is WRONG. He even knows this, which is why he weeps after killing the wife. However, the question should be: “is it justified?”

    Some of you “believe” that you would take the Broadie approach — the moral high road — not doing any harm to “die as humans” and allowing the 10 Million to perish. You say this sitting comfortably behind a computer, but I doubt it. Furthermore, is her decision so morally right? Remember, she has no kids, no husband — nothing. She has no other lives besides her own to weigh against the costs of securing 10 million lives. She takes the moral high ground to have a clean conscience at the expense of 10 million lives. Is this justified?

    Lastly, regardless of which choice — H hurting kids, or Broadie getting her way — Yussef is the dark heart of man. He would kill 40 million (10milx4) for his goals. He was willing to give up 30 million lives when his kids were THREATENED, and would presumably have given up the final bomb. HE, the most vile person in the movie, would have chosen the lives of his kids in exchange for the lives of the 40 million.

    He represents the majority of people in the world…because WHO would choose x number of people vs their own child?

    So go on and think that you would let your child die so that you can “die” as a human. I call B.S. on that. You would gladly turn the other way and let H do what he does.

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    May 9, 2011 @ 1:05 pm Brandon

    Wow helen, certainly don’t wanna be your son.

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    May 11, 2011 @ 2:15 pm Charlie

    Great movie. And even after watching this movie, I STILL hold fast that torture and death penalty is among the worst things in the world. As long as innocents can be caught in the net, it should not be allowed (and it isn’t, but quite a few people couldn’t care less about that, America included). Never.
    Also, the thing that Yusuf said about him not having to care for 50 civilians killed in that bombing because America’s armed forces kill that amount each and every day really got to me. Probably because it’s true. But hey, as long as those civilians aren’t from YOUR country, it’s cool, right?

    No. I don’t like America.
    But as I said, great movie.

  96. The Critical Movie Critics

    May 12, 2011 @ 9:06 pm MJ

    Every person here would change their tune about torture if you were in one of those cities that had a nuke. If you disagree with those methods, tell ppl what you really think. Don’t lie about it so you can feel good about yourself.

  97. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 21, 2011 @ 1:59 pm Sondreg

    Another typical hollywood movie. Sending the people home with the feeling there is good out there. In reality they would of grabbed every opportunity to get Yusuf to speak. You cant tolerate , intolerant people. Why be humane to inhumane people? Why would such an imcompetent person lead a FBI squad? Good job you just got millions of people (and children) killed and the whole world is in a economic crisis. This movie started off good but got ridicilous toward the end. I give this movie 2/5 sacks of bullshit.

  98. The Critical Movie Critics

    June 25, 2011 @ 1:02 am JustinStrife

    People who talk about morality, then go and say 10 million people dying is better than torturing one evil human being to save those 10 million people, should take a good long look in the mirror. By allowing those 10 million people to die, you have become a mass murderer. And don’t even try and compare what Yassar was doing, with what the United States Military is doing. Islamic terrorists hide in mosques, schools, hospitals, markets, homes, etc. They know we will hesitate to attack them when they hide out among civilians, then they attack us behind the skirts of people we don’t want to kill. It happens everyday in the Middle East. Then when they aren’t doing that, they are suicide bombing churches, mosques, weddings, etc because other people don’t believe the same that they do. If all of the Islamic Terrorists put down their guns and bombs, and actually worked for peace, there would be no violence in the Middle East, and no reason for the U.S. Military to be there. The very fact that so many people cannot see that, shows how warped and twisted humans can become.

  99. The Critical Movie Critics

    July 27, 2011 @ 2:55 am Asam

    Movie also sends an indirect message that US is the country that is hypocrtical – killing millions of civilians in other countries does not hurt their policies but 1 American life lost and they think they have every right to do whatever it takes to avenge the killing!
    Why dont US stop building its own nuclear weapons and supplying arms to countries? Weapons are manufactured by US to be used to kill non-americans?? Why the complaint if what is created by you is turned on you? It’s a known risk if you play with fire you are bound to be burnt yourself!!

  100. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 8, 2011 @ 5:15 am Karina

    I wonder what Brody’s position would have been if someone she loved was in one of the three cities with the bombs?

    I can see her hesitation to resort to torture only because of the off chance it may not work, but if you were almost sure that hurting a few would save tens of millions, the choice seems rather obvious- especially when you have someone else (H) doing the dirty work for you. She could almost displace the guilt…

  101. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 19, 2011 @ 1:57 am matt

    bottom line, no limit until u save everyone, screw the one muslim who praises allah and save the 10 million. let h do what he has to do. anyway choices point was great and im on here to understand the point but i guess theres pl,enty.

  102. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 21, 2011 @ 10:33 pm Yuri

    Let me start by saying that I’ve seen the full version and I don’t know why the cut out the the ending in the DVD because there is a 4th bomb in the same place where they diffused one of the other Bombs (but hidden).

    I’m not going to get into the politics side and instead just give my opinion/feelings on the film.

    2 sides and 2 losers. One is claiming to be bringing peace by destruction and in the name of God. The other peace by torture. One day perhaps there will be peace and enlightenment where we will all see each other as brothers and sisters (only way we’ll ever evolve).

    The film was brilliant because it provoked a response from the viewer. My mind tells me I would have done what was necessary to the end but in my heart I wouldn’t be able to hurt a child. I think I would have at least turned the lights off in the room and made the kids scream (pinch their skin really hard?) so Yusuf could hear it.

    There is no right answer to this movie. Just a message, and the message is this…We are in many ways going in the wrong direction, choosing a wrong path which leads to nowhere. Guess we’ll need to try something else real soon.

    We’re governed by the wrong people. People who will always want more and more. We have enough for everyone to go round in this world but…..well guess were still very very low on that evolutionary chart at the moment.

    And let the ladies run the world for a bit I’m sure most wars would stop ;) (Can’t believe I just said that I’m a guy lol)

    Its interesting to see how this movie/topic is tearing everyone apart in this forum…Maybe that’s the point of the movie.

    Lets see if the Aliens destroy all of us before we destroy the earth eh

    Peace All

  103. The Critical Movie Critics

    August 22, 2011 @ 8:05 am Patric

    Wonderful review by Yuri. I’m following up on comments to this fantastic contrarily-styled movie for some time and usually wouldn’t believe how many of us are living in such a small world. But when Yuri started to mention human evolution (and extraterrestrials), I couldn’t help but to agree more. Very first person with brains. Well done, Yuri. You live in Japan too?

  104. The Critical Movie Critics

    September 11, 2011 @ 5:44 am Rob J

    A very underrated film. Sam L Jackson gives one of his
    best performances since “Jackie Brown”, and is totally terrifying as “H”. Michael Sheen proves why
    he is one of the UK’s most astonishing actors.

    The downbeat ending is a possible reason why “Unthinkable” never got the worldwide release it deserved. File next to “Arlington Road” as a fine
    cult film whose status will grow with time

  105. The Critical Movie Critics

    January 7, 2012 @ 4:09 am robert

    every one has written opinion here about doing unthinkable or not doing it ,my question is that if we are debating to do or not do unthinkable to save our people , then why it is allowed to kill people in Muslim countries?and if they react then why it is called terrorism ?

  106. The Critical Movie Critics

    December 23, 2016 @ 12:19 pm Clive

    Finally someone with fair judgement of a movie. I was also asking myself if it’s only me who felt they wasted time on this movie especially the conclusion; it’s meaningless. The movie makes no point at all, just playing around with people’s emotions. Will definitely not watch it again.

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