A teaser poster for director Steven Soderbergh’s latest has gone online. Soderbergh has said that Side Effects will be his last theatrical film before a lengthy “sabbatical,” during which he’ll supposedly focus on painting. Let’s hope he changes his mind (he already has, since that sabbatical was originally planned as a complete retirement from filmmaking). The man’s been on an incredible winning streak since The Informant!. Or maybe it’s best for him to bow out at the top of his game. It’d be a bitter pill to swallow (incidentally, The Bitter Pill was the original title of this movie), but I guess no Soderbergh would be better than bad Soderbergh.
Side Effects follows a woman (Rooney Mara) who suffers some dramatic, possibly murderous side effects (get it?) after taking an experimental anxiety medication. Soderbergh’s new muse Channing Tatum stars as her husband. Look at that great poster – the sinister imagery, combined with the prescription design of the titling. It’s unique and memorable, and it makes me excited. The movie comes out February 8th.