A deadly accident on their lawn the night they move into their new house drive Josh (Ben Foster) and Rachel (Cobie Smulders) into a frenzy. Rachel begins to wonder what the long-term effects of this will be on their child, and Josh spends all his time preparing to save the next victim of the unnoticeable road corner sign should another accident happen. As more accidents happen, his obsession increases, driving a wedge in his relationships and pushing him beyond ethical bounds.
Directed by Jason Buxton, Sharp Corner enters us into a seemingly everyday affair, with characters who work regular jobs doing regular things like moving from the city with their small families. But, soon after the accident, we’re thrust into the eerie-ness of Josh’s mind, portrayed really well by Ben Foster.
Josh is shown to be passive, not pursuing anything with vigour, and while he seems content to live this way, the people closest to him express a dissatisfaction with his approach to his life. So, it’s pretty understandable, as weird as it is, why he develops this obsession. A slightly morbid fascination with death is one thing, but Josh has a saviour’s complex on steroids. As the film progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that Josh doesn’t want to save these people because he cares about their well-being, but that there’s just a part of him that constantly feels smaller than others, and saving victims of an accident is his twisted way of proving to other people and himself that he’s “the man” (this is my presumption, the movie doesn’t say that categorically).
Sharp Corner is an interesting look at his life unravelling, and the film brings us along for quiet contemplation on Josh’s state of being until it builds up to what I think is a pretty satisfying end.
Sharp Corner is playing at TIFF ’24. For more information, click here.
