Going Under

A middle aged therapist and dominatrix who both have professional boundary issues, discover transferring their relationship to the real world comes with many problems. The premise of the movie is interesting as both of the protagonists work and create a false one sided intimacy with their clients. This story poses the question what happens when they are both confronted with the loss of control required for genuine intimacy and whether they could survive this vulnerability. Both the therapist and sex worker risk the loss of long term relationships and in the case of the therapist his career as being found out dating a client will end his career. There is nothing in the BDSM scenes which is particularly explicit or shocking, especially in the post 50 shades Hollywood climate. This is a recommended movie for anyone interested in the psychology of relationships and issues of intimacy, vulnerability and control. If you came looking for depictions of extreme sex and cheap thrills you are bound to be disappointed. This is a sober, grown up, complex and intelligent relationship story not to be confused with soft core porn.