Sanctuary had its world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022, and was released in the United States on May 19, 2023, by Neon. The film received positive reviews from critics. grossed $535,201 in the United States and $259,161 internationally, for a worldwide total of $794,362, against an estimated budget of $775,281.
Plot
Hal Porterfield orders room service in a luxury hotel suite, where he is joined by Rebecca Marin, who poses as an interviewer for the position of CEO of the hotel chain. As the conversation progresses, her questions become increasingly personal and sexually charged, revealing that she is a dominatrix acting out a script Hal has prepared. After forcing Hal to clean the bathroom in his underwear, she allows him to climax.
During dinner, they step out of character. Hal explains that following his father's death, he is about to formally assume the CEO position, and continuing their relationship would be inappropriate. He offers Rebecca an expensive watch as a parting gift. Offended, she leaves abruptly.
Rebecca later returns, citing Hal's father's management principles to argue that he is unfit for the role. She demands half of his first-year salary, threatening to release recordings of their sessions if he refuses. Although Hal initially appears unaffected, he eventually destroys the hotel room in a rage while searching for the hidden camera.
Hal accidentally electrocutes himself. As he lies stunned, Rebecca observes his arousal. Hal claims their relationship is purely transactional and without emotional attachment, asserting that he could have her killed. Rebecca appears disturbed but initiates sex at knifepoint, declaring that she intends to become pregnant and tie their lives together.
Hal prepares to wire the demanded money but intercepts Rebecca at the elevator, seeking collateral to prevent further blackmail. When she refuses, he drags her back to the room and demands an explanation. Rebecca reveals a secret recording of their sessions and admits she has quit her job and left her fiancé, claiming she only feels self-actualized during their encounters. Hal ties her to a bedpost and uses their safe-word, "sanctuary", though Rebecca insists that they are no longer role-playing.
Hal threatens a murder–suicide, but Rebecca proposes one final roleplay in which she impersonates Hal's deceased father. Initially reluctant, Hal engages with her, culminating in a confrontation in the bathroom where he asserts, "I am nothing like you, and I don't have to be." They embrace and fall asleep.
The following morning, Hal cleans the suite as Rebecca awakens on the bathroom floor. On their way out, Hal proposes that Rebecca assume the CEO role, allowing her to live as an independent woman while remaining close to him. When Rebecca asks how he will explain the situation to his mother, Hal responds that he will say they are in love. They kiss before departing.
Sanctuary had its world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022.[6] Shortly after, Super LTD, a division of Neon, acquired distribution rights to the film, though it was ultimately distributed under the Neon label.[7] In May 2023, Universal Pictures acquired international distribution rights outside of Italy, the CIS, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Australia, and New Zealand.[8] The film also screened at Miami Dade College's 40th Annual Miami Film Festival on March 11, 2023, where it was nominated for the Knight Marimbas Award.[9]
It received a limited theatrical release in the United States on May 19, 2023.[10][11] The film was released digitally on June 20, 2023, followed by a physical media release on August 15, 2023.[12]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 91 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads, "Revolving around outstanding performances from Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott, Sanctuary confounds expectations with élan."[13]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]
Katie Rife of RogerEbert.com praised the film's writing and performances, describing it as a "controlled chaos" fueled by sharp dialogue and inventive structure. She highlighted the film's exploration of emotional vulnerability behind the façade of dominance and submission, calling it "a tease" that "builds to genuine catharsis."[15] Peter Debruge of Variety noted that the film "stretches a one-location two-hander into an audacious, at times exasperating, but ultimately rewarding exercise in performance and power dynamics."[16]
In The New York Times, Glenn Kenny commended the performances, stating that Qualley and Abbott "execute the film's demanding emotional and physical choreography with aplomb," though he noted that some viewers may find the prolonged tension "claustrophobic".[17]Common Sense Media called Sanctuary a "dark, twisty, and surprisingly moving exploration of power, love, and dependency," highlighting the complex character work and psychological depth.[18]
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the film "sustains tension remarkably well", crediting Wigon's direction and the "magnetically unsettling performances".[19]The Ringer emphasized that Sanctuary "examines how intimacy, power, and survival blur inside relationships."[20]
In The Washington Post, Ann Hornaday wrote that the film "tests the limits of claustrophobic storytelling," with "an unnerving mix of playfulness and real psychological menace."[21] However, some critics, such as Slant Magazine, found the film's pacing "erratic", suggesting that it "flirts with emotional depth but sometimes retreats into contrivance."[22]IndieWire called it "a bold, mischievous, and sometimes frustrating chamber piece."[23]
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