Nothing is ever what it seems with Steven Soderbergh, and “Side Effects” is no different. Everything from the plot, to the characters, to the film itself spend the runtime masquerading as something they’re not. The patient thriller is a fitting swan song for Soderbergh’s marvelous feature film career.

It’s a dense, intricate film that flips itself on its head over and over. The tale of Emily Taylor’s (Rooney Mara) downward spiral and how it swallows her doctors (Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her husband (Channing Tatum) whole is manic and tense.

The real brilliance in the film, though, is how seamlessly it switches gears. It starts as a blistering critique of the cold and calculated pharmaceutical industry. By the time it ends, while that message still stands, it’s gone down a different road entirely. Despite this, no minute of the film feels wasted. For a film with so many swerves, it’s impressive to stay as grounded as it does.

The acting and writing, though, take a back seat to the truly masterful direction by Soderbergh. He creates a remarkable degree of tension through intimate camerawork, and he frequently teeters on the line of uncomfortably close.

Even when what’s taking place feels like it’s spinning out of the characters hands, Soderbergh is firmly in control. It’s not some sort of vision realized, and it’s not his best film. But it could be his most delicate, and it’s a heck of a way to go out.