Sanctuary

In this surprisingly intense and stunningly acted two-hander, Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) plays Rebecca, a ravishing and skilled dominatrix who has established a relationship with Hal (Christopher Abbott, Possessor). Hal is about to inherit his family’s company and a large endowment, and he wants to thank Rebecca for having taught him things, such as coping mechanisms that have given him the strength to take on his new responsibilities. But he also wants to sever the relationship, calculating that it would put him in jeopardy now that he is about to assume such a public office. In Rebecca’s mind though, the new CEO is going to need her life counselling more than ever before. So instead of going quietly into the night, she engages in a wildly entertaining, often disturbing battle of wits and wills with her client over one emotionally fraught night in their luxury hotel suite. The balance of power swings continuously during these negotiations, and the blistering cat-and-mouse game with money and reputations on the line proves to be a perversely fun psychosexual thriller for the ages.