Around every one of life’s sharp corners lies the potential for disaster.
Written and directed by Jason Buxton, Sharp Corner tells the story of Josh (Ben Foster), a mild-mannered family man whose life seems stuck in neutral. He goes to work but seems dissatisfied. He loves his family but there seems to be something missing. Still, his world finally feels like its moving forward with the purchase of their new family home. With a big yard and tonnes of space to grow, the house is ‘brimming with possibilities’.
However, their home is situated on a very sharp corner that is hazardous to drivers. Then, when a devastating car accident disrupts their sense of tranquility, Josh’s inability to act creates an obsession with saving lives. As his fixation builds, Josh’s dive into darkness begins to threaten the safety of his family and the security of his relationships.
Credit must be given to Foster who keeps the film’s eyes on the road. In every scene, his performance is utterly entrancing, imbued with a mysterious edge. At any given moment, we are left to try to figure out his motivations. He speaks about moving on but his eyes say his heart is elsewhere. He stares endlessly out the window at the street corner but gives little indication whether he’s experiencing worry or anticipation. He plays with his son with lighthearted fun but instantly pivots to something else after its over. Foster’s ability to keep Josh’s emotional landscape shifting is remarkable to watch. We want Josh to heal but can’t help but watch as he appears to his own emotional sharp corners as well.
Though Josh isn’t experiencing a typical mid-life crisis, there is a certain level of self-discovery going on within his emotional descent that seems to unearth the bleakest impulses within him. Each devastating accident feeds into Josh’s psychological breakdown, creating an overwhelming obsession with the darkness that he’s experienced. This behaviour isn’t necessarily who he is… but he is definitely staring into his inner spiritual void to ask if that’s who he wants to become.
Because, in Corner, the accidents aren’t the effect. They are the cause.
And Buxton does an excellent job of bringing us along for the ride. For a film featuring multiple car crashes, Sharp Corner is the very definition of a ‘slow burn’. Josh is simmering with an unspoken rage and, as a result, the film rarely allows the viewer to feel safe. But even as the intensity builds, Buxton still keeps the film feeling claustrophobia until its conclusion. Every tire squeal outside their home feels as if danger is merely an echo away.
Yet, at the same time, the film offers a surprising amount of grace to Josh. We know that his obsession stems from the weight of his scars. Though we watch him descend into madness, Corner never entirely loses empathy for his experience. Despite the fracturing effect that it has upon his home, we understand the burden that his trauma has had upon him. As he and his family attempt to grapple with the realities of PTSD, the film suggests that this may be his obsession but neither is he entirely in control. This element of compassion means that our fear for Josh stems more out of concern for him than it does any hatred towards his character.
But that doesn’t mean that the effects aren’t devastating.
And Sharp Corner is willing to sit in the consequence of Josh’s psychological breakdown. It’s a chilling example of what can happen when our response to trauma begins to define our future. The damage is done but it also becomes Josh’s lens for the world. His desire to find something more within himself gradually eats away at the things that once served to give him joy, causing him to wrestle with (potentially) terrifying choices. Because, for Josh, the Sharp Corner in front of his home just as easily has the potential to derail his personal life as well.
Sharp Corner is available in theatres on Friday, May 9th, 2025.
