REVIEW

Kinky ‘Sanctuary’ an Intoxicating Two-Hander That Dominates Audience

Name: Kinky ‘Sanctuary’ an Intoxicating Two-Hander That Dominates Audience
Item: Sanctuary
Rating: 91
Author: Matt Oakes

By Matt Oakes · May 17, 2023

Where to watch: Streaming free on Kanopy and Tubi, or rent or buy on digital (updated October 2026)Watch on Kanopy · Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4KAs an Amazon Associate, Silver Screen Riot earns from qualifying purchases.

It all starts in a hotel room. Hal (Christopher Abbott) orders room service and waits. Enter Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), a whip-smart dominatrix. Qualley, who you may remember from her standout performances in Maid and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, first poses as a lawyer there to “gather information, verify it, and write up a report.” Although it’s all part of a CEO/powerbroker role play, meticulously scripted to the last detail, it’s actually not that far from the truth. This is Sanctuary, a kinky, mentalist dom-sub rom-com, and it’s the stage for Qualley and Abbott’s most intoxicating performances yet.

Sanctuary plays out like a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with Qualley often playing the role of whip-wielding puppeteer. She’s a force of nature, spellbinding in every scene, exuding an energy that’s equally terrifying and intoxicating. From the moment she steps into Hal’s gaudy hotel room, she is impossible to ignore. Her turn gives off an air of cool intensity, offering a full spectrum performance that makes it impossible to take your eyes off her. She commands every scene with a gravitational pull, a presence that’s as commanding as the domme she portrays.

Her chemistry with Christopher Abbott, the crowned prince of edgy indie adult drama, is palpable and burns off the celluloid. Their tête-à-tête, an ongoing negotiation of relationship dynamics, power struggles, and battle of wits, is as unpredictable as it is thrilling and sexy. As their power play ebbs and flows, each gains and loses control in a dance of dominance and submission that’s electrifying moment to moment, and scene to scene.

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But it’s not all whip-cracks and power games. Qualley brings a depth and complexity to her character that elevates Sanctuary from a simple sexually-infused dark comedy to a compelling exploration of the human condition. She presents a woman who is not only fully in control of her sexuality but also deeply intelligent and emotionally layered. Her everywoman desires are felt, especially in the presence of the spoiled, submissive scion. The dominatrix is not just a role she plays but a mask she wears, a persona she adopts, to navigate a world that’s as transactional as it is impersonal. If only she could feel like this always.

Sanctuary movie still

Qualley’s dominance in Sanctuary is not limited to her character’s profession; it’s in every scene she graces, every line she delivers, every look she gives. She’s in control, always, whether she’s commanding Abbott to clean the bathroom floor in his underwear or deftly navigating how she can squeeze more juice out of their transactional relationship.

Beneath the dom-sub theme, Sanctuary explores themes of control and trust. It portrays two broken individuals caught in each other’s orbit, engaging in a free market exchange of control and trust. Often to their own detriment. There’s a sneaking suspicion that trapped in this room together, one of the two won’t make it out unscathed.

And yet, despite its dark themes, “Sanctuary” is imbued with a hint of 1950s slapstick romantic comedy. There’s a touch of old-school charm that’s reminiscent of “why-I-oughta” rom-com cornerstones like The Philadelphia Story and The Apartment. It’s a subtle nod, a feather-light touch amidst the more forceful themes that adds a unique flavor profile to the film.

Under the playful and provocative direction of Zachary Wigon, and the utterly alive, at times unhinged script of Micah Bloomberg, Sanctuary presents a compelling exploration of what it means to love and make love in a society that’s fundamentally built on transaction. So, if you’re in the mood for a film that’s as wild and unpredictable as the dominatrix’s whip, step into the Sanctuary.

CONCLUSION: ‘Sanctuary’, a kinky dark romantic comedy, transcends its overtly sexually-charged trappings to become a provocative exploration of power, control, and trust. With an unforgettable performance from Margaret Qualley, it’s a wildly unpredictable ride that’ll leaves an indelible mark on the more risqué viewer’s psyche.