In the age of streaming, I forgot what it was like to watch a movie in a sold-out theatre. That was until I found myself sitting next to actor Christopher Abbott while watching actress Margaret Qualley hold a knife to his neck on screen. Qualley was sitting behind us with her fiancé Jack Antonoff.
This past Friday the iconic Lower East Side theatre, Metrograph, hosted a red carpet and premier of the salacious Sanctuary directed by Zachary Wigon and written by Micah Bloomberg. The film stars Abbott as Hal (the heir to his father’s wealth), Qualley as Rebecca (his regular dominatrix), and one of the most stylish hotel rooms I’ve ever seen. Seriously, this film has got style and sex appeal thanks to the brilliant cinematographer Ludovica Isidori. But don’t let the aesthetics fool you, Sanctuary is delightfully loaded. The cat-and-mouse game is kicked off when Hal, about to inherit his father’s company, tries to end the pseudo-sexual no-contract relationship with Rebecca. The next hour is an electrifying dance toeing the line between vulnerable, deceiving, and just plain sexy, which is carried by witty writing and killer performances.
Qualley shared how excited she was to watch the film in theatres, with an audience, as the last time she saw it was “six months ago in [her] living room.” A similar enthusiastic sentiment was echoed by the cast and crew. The dynamic of the theatre saturates the thrilling paradoxes of Sanctuary: the wins seem higher and the losses even greater. After 90 minutes of a healthy amount of emotional whiplash, the film’s conclusion is as satisfying as an orgasm. The theatre agreed as they let out thunderous applause.
Sanctuary premieres on May 19th. Do yourself a favor and go watch it in theatres.
