One of the greatest pleasures of cinema is discovering the oddities. Sure, there are masterpieces where you see an actor give such a mannered performance that every movement feels perfectly crafted. I’m not here to fault those roles. However, the oddities are the space between sublime and abysmal where the real magic happens. It’s the go-for-broke mentality where you are left perplexed by every acting decision. For some, it’s an infuriating tool. For others like me, you watch Isabelle Adjani blow up a milk container in a tunnel and think it’s one of the best pieces of cinema ever created. There is an art to taking risks I love and cherish anyone who is not always going for “predictable.”
Having taken a chance on Sanctuary (2023) over on Hulu, I am proud to say that Margaret Qualley has just given my favorite performance of the year. It can be argued that there are going to be more nuanced or funnier moments, but to watch what she does in this two-hander is so delicious. It’s an erotic tale in which dominatrix Rebecca (Qualley) is having a session with Hal (Christopher Abbott) that leads to some interesting places. In general, it’s so refreshing to see a film that is sex-positive. Even if the camera never lingers on typical nudity, there’s so much suggestive imagery. The opening act is tense with role-playing. Rebecca promises sex, but only if Hal plays along. As anyone can assume, this isn’t a simple transaction. Something is going to happen before it’s over. And yet, you can feel the hormones reaching the edge of Hal’s body. It’s practically sweating out of every pore. The desire is interminable.
The premise is familiar to anyone who has seen other BDSM cinema like Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) or the underrated Duke of Burgundy (2014). Everything centers around a contract. There are compromises that have to be made in order for everyone to have a happy ending. At one point, the foreplay becomes so labored that Rebecca forces Hal into his office so that they can go over the script. For the first time, the viewer is noticing the compromise. This isn’t some spontaneous couple. Hal is a glutton for punishment which he achieves through delay. His fantasy involves being insulted, and put into embarrassing situations like cleaning the bathroom naked. When he is allowed to masturbate, Rebecca demands that he must not look at her. Qualley is so thrilling in these moments because you buy her sense of power. She takes every decision seriously. Many have used their sexuality to forward themselves, but Rebecca is playing a con that’s more devious and long-term. Hal has a script, but what he doesn’t know is that she has one too. First, she must mentally break him by withholding sex.
I would like to give credit to director Zachary Wigon and writer Micah Bloomberg for producing a drama that’s more adult than the average fare. Even if this can be viewed as a conventional stage drama, I think that the theatricality of Wigon’s filmmaking elevates it into one of the most playful journeys of the year. It’s full-tilt psychological, forcing the audience to wonder what desire we hold within ourselves. He lingers within the sensations, using suggestive imagery to get hearts racing. More than that, it’s a film that manages to have a mean streak of comedy that never feels cheap. Qualley delivers some great deadpan humor here, mostly derived from her sense of power in the bedroom. The cherry on top is Ariel Marx’s excellent subversion of romantic scores during the most awkward of scenes. The love means nothing, and yet the music convinces you otherwise.
This is, of course, only during the first act. I hesitate to jump into the latter section just yet because I think the film builds tension very well. I also think it’s here where you understand the chemistry best. Without revealing all of her cards, you buy into Rebecca’s mission because of how routine it is. Slowly it feels like the film is unraveling itself and will reveal a Brechtian plot twist. By showing the dialogue as it’s spoken on the page, one can’t help but imagine that Rebecca knows something we don’t. Hal may think he knows things, but he’s the submissive for a reason. He needs the surprise or else everything won’t, no pun intended, come together.
I’ve enjoyed Christopher Abbott for a long time now going back to Girls. He’s been one of those fun indie actors who I’ve enjoyed seeing pop up in this or that project. However, I don’t know that I’ve appreciated him as much as I have here. It’s a role that requires humiliation and vulnerability. One can believe that he is the type to have a humiliation kink because of how downtrodden his personality is. His voice is hushed and he seems timid to express himself. Watching Qualley talk down to him delivers a mix of intimidation and humor that works because you never feel total pity for him. Even when he’s an ambiguous figure, you’re left confused as to why this man is so obsessed with scripts. What fantasy is he trying to live out?
While I think the plot description on IMDb and Hulu would give away enough to spoil the big reveal, I liked how the story developed the twist. Following a session that lingers and maybe loses its appeal, suddenly things heat up when Hal reveals what’s going on. He is the son of a tycoon, the heir apparent to a world of wealth and privilege. As anyone who has seen Succession can guess, things aren’t going well between him and his dad. Sure, there’s an acceptance that he’s getting the whole kit and kaboodle. However, he’s uncertain whether he’s right for the part. He unleashes this insecurity through sex, and it involves feeling lesser, giving into a seductive take on “You’re not right for this job.”
This makes Qualley’s role all the more brilliant. I am not entirely sure where the film ultimately achieves its Brechtian twist, but the pieces are laid out with a mundanity that makes it work. Rebecca walks around the room, admiring photographs and discussing the layout of the room. She is essentially playing a criminal who has managed to rope up her victim without any strings. He is putty in her hands, and so long as she can make him withhold his sexual urges, the further along that things can go. “Sanctuary” he cries. It’s the safe word to let her know that things are becoming uncomfortable. The only issue is he’s too far gone now to simply have her walk away.
She is a dominatrix with excellent bargaining skills. She also has a tempting backstory that reflects the real divides of social class. Hal symbolizes access to money and power while Rebecca is powerful with nothing more than her body. It may be a simple economic drama dressed up with teasing, but it does so with this greater sense of urgency. It’s less about the superficial and more about everyone’s survival. They need each other to function. Rebecca knows Hal’s most private of shames. She has power that could destroy him even if could afford enough lawyers to have her arrested. She uses her body so that his company can profit. Because of this intersection, there’s an incredible understanding of how the negotiation isn’t just about his desire but hers as well. She doesn’t strike me as someone who actually enjoys the sex. She’s more attracted to the potential of money and security. It can protect her from struggles further down the line.
While I think the film is a tad more refined than I may have suggested by calling it a “comedy,” I think Qualley delivers some excellent pieces of madness here. She is so committed to the dominatrix role that every line has sincerity behind it. She carries herself in such a way that her very stance is hot. As the viewer becomes aware that something is awry, one can’t help but admire her following a script that’s between the lines. Sure, she’s getting paid for this, but how much is the greater question. Hal ultimately won’t get what he wants. He might get a pep talk on how to run a business from his independent contractor, but otherwise, he’s helpless. There’s a moment towards the middle of the film where Rebecca becomes a wrecking ball and throws the future into chaos. Even then, her ability to convince you that she has a greater plan is a testament to a great performance and a tightly wound script.
I have always enjoyed Qualley’s performances. While I don’t know that I liked her equally mature film Stars At Noon (2022), she has had a lot of promise in such a short run. Personally, I think that Maid was a decent show that reflected a similar working class struggle from a more sincere angle. However, I don’t know that there’s much that has won me over so immediately as Sanctuary. She is having so much fun here and the script handles its familiar territory with a playfulness that makes me admire how well it’s made. It’s sensual and shocking without having to be explicit. The hormonal rush that implicitly flows through every frame is enough. Still, I love how she controls that feeling and demands us to not let go either. It makes me hopeful that her upcoming turns in Drive Away Dolls (2023) and Poor Things (2023) will solidify this as the year I go from liking Qualley to absolutely loving her.
As I’ve mentioned, I don’t know that this is reinventing anything. This is simply a showcase of two actors who are really in tune with each other. The way that it’s able to draw out the BDSM elements through arousal and discomfort is brilliant. Even then, it blends sexual with intellectual in ways I don’t think have been explored since the 90s. It may be vanilla by comparison, but it doesn’t mean it’s any less erotic or thrilling. With Sanctuary, Qualley has shown just how capable she is of controlling the screen. She’s able to play the street magician forcing you to look away from the real trick. I can’t wait to see where things go from here.
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