“Side Effects,” the film by Steven Soderbergh, is a clever thriller that keeps the audience interested throughout the action packed plot. The movie begins as a dramatic view of the cures of psychopharmacology, provided by modern medicine.

However, things take an unexpected turn when the main character in the film, played by Rooney Mara, begins to experience strange side effects of the newfound drugs she is taking.

This movie certainly keeps the audience captivated, with its unexpected plot twists here and there along with the alluring cast. Some of the cast includes Channing Tatum, the main character’s husband, Jude Law, the psychiatrist, and Catherine Zeta Jones, as Mara’s former psychiatrist.

All of the performances of the actors are excellent and their characters are portrayed so well, it’s almost difficult not to believe that everything that happens in the movie “Side Effects” is real. Mara’s performance is the one that makes the film.

Soderbergh designed the movie to have a plot within another plot, so that the audience catches the minor details and plot points in retrospect. Overall, the movie provides clues to the ending throughout it but one does not take any of these into consideration until the entire plot unfolds near the end of the film.

The movie, as a whole, could be thought of as a puzzle. Soderbergh carefully constructed the movie so that the pieces fit together perfectly once one stands back to examine all of the little things.

“Side Effects” is a film recognized for its brilliant construction and mind-boggling plot. The various characters, settings, and theme contribute to this successful take on modern medicine.