Hal has a decision to make. His father has died, and Hal stands in line to inherit a fortune and a not-so-insignificant hotel empire. But before he can step into those shoes, he has to let go of his past and make his “insides match his outsides.” At least that’s what he tells Rebecca, the dominatrix he’s been seeing. His future can’t risk her presence, so he’s decided to cut her loose with a $35,000 watch as a parting gift. A drop in the bucket for someone who stands to receive nearly $200 million once the i’s are dotted, and the t’s are crossed. For Rebecca, it might as well be a slap in the face. Let the games begin.

Written by Micah Bloomberg and directed by Zachary Wigon, Sanctuary is a twisty tale of power plays confined to a Denver penthouse suite Hal (Christopher Abbott) is about to inherit. He is a man who enjoys humiliation—controlled humiliation—and Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) is the woman who relishes her job.

One of the pleasures of Sanctuary is that each revelation opens more possibilities. Both Rebecca and Hal play their first encounter straight, but then Hal reprimands Rebecca for ad-libbing, and it becomes evident everything here is scripted to maximize Hal’s pleasure. It’s a clever reveal—one that happens early in the movie—and throws in the possibility that everything that follows might also be scripted. How deep does Hal’s need for humiliation and submission go? How much power and domination does Rebecca hold over him? Either in their pretend world or in real life?

Confined to Hal’s penthouse, Sanctuary has the trappings of a stage play, one that manages to maintain tension through longer than average shot length, saucy editing, and Abbott and Qualley’s performances, which bounce back and forth between violent and vulnerable. That makes it sound like something sinister happens. That’s not the case, though the constant tug of power, money, and sex certainly debase those willing to do anything to win. Sanctuary is not a movie about collaboration and harmony. It’s about roles and how everything seems to open up once you find the one you really want.

Sanctuary (2023)
Directed by Zachary Wigon
Written by Micah Bloomberg
Produced by Pavel Burian, David Lancaster, Ilya Stewart, Stephanie Wilcox
Starring: Christopher Abbott, Margaret Qualley
Neon, Rated R, Running time 96 minutes, Opens June 2, 2023

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