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| screenanarchy.com |
Telling a ghost story well is hard. Telling it in a foreign language and having it picked up by a mass audience on the other side of the world is even harder. For Under The Shadow, accomplishing this feat seemed swift and unchallenging. Not only does the film capture a growing hotbed of horror from Iran following the release of last year's A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night- a wildly stylistic homage to films of yore, it also incorporates historical context, seamlessly.
Under The Shadow tells the story of a mother and daughter who come face-to-face with a djinn (spirit) in the middle of war-torn Tehran. Perfectly melding two fears- one very real and the other supernatural, the debut of director Babak Anvari is another strong entry for yet another newcomer in the industry. With horror movies- many of which being imported from abroad, gaining prominence alongside their relatively new creators like Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), horror fans have been given somewhat of a gift. And while directors like Anvari or Kent pay homage to the forefathers of horror, these terrific filmmakers are certainly making marks of their own.
Under The Shadow is an impressive first look at what should be a successful run for Anvari and his cast. In the starring role Narges Rashidi portrays Shideh, the conflicted mother of Avin Manshadi's Dorsa. Rashidi is stunning. As a mother who is constantly looked down upon for her parenting style and then even more so for her past as an activist,and aspirations outside of the household, Rashidi's Shideh is a feminist icon. Constantly battling the pressures of daily life in Iran, while trying to create an identity of her own results in an complex character that compels.
Under The Shadow also offers its fair share of scares. From empty rooms with an eery lack of activity to moments of absolute chaos, Anvari is able to tackle subtle scares with more prominent ones in congruency. The djinn is certainly horrifying when noticed, but sometimes the greatest fears offered up are the ones when little is seen or heard. Moments when Dorsa talks about her mute neighbor speaking to her, or nights spent in the basement-turned-bomb shelter, allow for a certain haunting atmosphere to bubble throughout, intensifying the experience for the audience.
The historical context of the film only adds to its achievements. Set in the '80s, Under The Shadow provides an intimately human look at the lives affected by the Iran-Iraq war. Acting as a vehicle, the historical backdrop pushes the film past any sense of blandness, building the characters above the one dimensionality that could have existed otherwise. It's the type of movie that, while fictional, also offers a sense of political insight that viewers may had never experienced.
Under The Shadow joins a line of recent indie horror movies that have become standouts on their own. It's the type of move that despite having a limited release, is able to connect with a larger world because of its outstanding product. It is one of the best horror movies of the year, and possibly one of the best ever.
Under The Shadow is an impressive first look at what should be a successful run for Anvari and his cast. In the starring role Narges Rashidi portrays Shideh, the conflicted mother of Avin Manshadi's Dorsa. Rashidi is stunning. As a mother who is constantly looked down upon for her parenting style and then even more so for her past as an activist,and aspirations outside of the household, Rashidi's Shideh is a feminist icon. Constantly battling the pressures of daily life in Iran, while trying to create an identity of her own results in an complex character that compels.
Under The Shadow also offers its fair share of scares. From empty rooms with an eery lack of activity to moments of absolute chaos, Anvari is able to tackle subtle scares with more prominent ones in congruency. The djinn is certainly horrifying when noticed, but sometimes the greatest fears offered up are the ones when little is seen or heard. Moments when Dorsa talks about her mute neighbor speaking to her, or nights spent in the basement-turned-bomb shelter, allow for a certain haunting atmosphere to bubble throughout, intensifying the experience for the audience.
The historical context of the film only adds to its achievements. Set in the '80s, Under The Shadow provides an intimately human look at the lives affected by the Iran-Iraq war. Acting as a vehicle, the historical backdrop pushes the film past any sense of blandness, building the characters above the one dimensionality that could have existed otherwise. It's the type of movie that, while fictional, also offers a sense of political insight that viewers may had never experienced.
Under The Shadow joins a line of recent indie horror movies that have become standouts on their own. It's the type of move that despite having a limited release, is able to connect with a larger world because of its outstanding product. It is one of the best horror movies of the year, and possibly one of the best ever.
Overall, I'd give the movie 9 out of 10
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