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View Full Version : Under The Shadow (Babak Anvari)



Henry Gale
10-15-2016, 05:50 PM
http://hellhorror.com/imgs/movies/47981.jpg

IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4273292/) / Wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Shadow)

Henry Gale
10-16-2016, 10:35 PM
Thought this was fine, but aside from a few striking images and stirring ideas, I'm not sure I see much else in this.

It basically just plays like a really solid Iranian drama that eventually transforms into a very passable horror parable, while not reinventing either version of those separate types movies in the process of combining them.

The comparison that has been and will incessantly be made here is to The Babadook, and it's sadly way more apt and eerily similar than I ever expected it to be going in (especially since I can't imagine with this project coming so soon after it that it would've directly influenced it). And it's really unfortunate in a way because that movie stayed with me in a way I'm just not sure this will. Similarly, it felt way to brief to leave the sort of impression I think it needs to, with its final shot and credits rolling so suddenly I was in a bit of disbelief. A strong denouement could've done wonders.

I still think it's worth seeing, but not sure I see in this what so many others seemingly have. Then again, Irish has already nayed this, so I now want to here his thoughts.

*** / 6.4

Irish
10-17-2016, 02:21 AM
My reaction was similar to yours, Henry. I was a little confused why people made such a big deal out of this coming out of Sundance.

Grouchy
09-29-2017, 07:29 PM
Eh, I couldn't disagree more. It's an intelligent ghost (or djinn?) movie where the supernatural events relate perfectly to the social and political themes being explored, and it's also occassionally very disturbing. Having just seen It which was inflated as being a scary movie, I have to say nothing in that film was as unsettling as the poltergeist events in this one.

And, as a Horror fan, I always find that worth raving about.

number8
09-29-2017, 08:02 PM
Oh, this movie. I remember liking this a lot. I thought it was ingenious that the demon manifested as a giant hijab at the end. Got a kick out of that.