For some reason, Unthinkable seemed to slip under the radar both theatrically and on DVD/Blu-Ray. Neither Empire nor Total Film carry a single review, which is very odd.
This movie is very much about the dynamics within the "interrogation room" and not, as the trailer suggests, a race against time to find the bombs (although that is of course their primary goal).
Samuel Jackson is a curious piece of casting. The movie pretty much sums up the underlying theme in series 7 of 24 - is torture ever justified, even in the name of national security? 24, however (despite its faults) had Keifer Sutherland as a man who will do whatever it takes to protect the innocent. He goes almost into a trance-like state to carry out horrendous violence, and then snaps out of it, as if he's been shaken awake. In Unthinkable, Jackson seems to take sadistic delight in torturing his victim, but then maybe that's part of the message?
I'm not sure this movie will polarise viewers as much as it thinks it will. After all, if you knew there were three nuclear bombs that could wipe out 10 million people, would you really be in a dilemma as to "how far you should go"?
Well worth watching, even if Jackson isn't the best piece of casting. Sheen, however, is awesome. A fantastic performance, especially towards the end.