While there are many who look upon the movie as a hackneyed thriller with a poor ending, I see it as a strong statement on domestic violence, specifically, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). The flick is rife with symbolism but I think that the most emphasized one is the parallel drawn between the meaningless violence Della (the central character) is subjected to by some mindless, psychopathic, freakish strangers on the streets while she was out and the meaningless abuse that Della's own husband subjects her to while she is at home. The few hours that she is out fighting against the freaks to save her life, to get back to her home, help build up the attitude in her to not submit to a similar situation at home. And, we see that in the end, Della brings her life back into her control, by putting an end to the criminals...both outside her home and inside. So, I liked the script for this symbolism. Kim Basinger's performance is awesome as usual.
Review of While She Was Out
