aka Under the Shadow
Iranian director Babak Anvari tackles much more than a scary movie with the eerie Iraq-Iran war-torn horror film Under the Shadow.
Set in Tehran, Iraq during the War of the Cities of the '80's, a young mother trying to deal with the war the that surrounds her home is given even more stress when her daughter begins talking about evil spirits.
Important themes of rebellion, feminism and oppression are tossed around, all the while Anvari is keen on keeping the viewer frightened as well. I don't know if it was the unfamiliarity of the setting that kept me on edge or the threat of missile coming through the window any second but not once did I feel comfort within the film. The supernatural evil of the film never really does a whole lot to frighten because it feels so familiar to the hundreds of "young woman & kid haunted" films that have come before it. Nevertheless, it's an intriguing brisk watch for ghostly horror fans tired of the North American/Japanese settings.
Set in Tehran, Iraq during the War of the Cities of the '80's, a young mother trying to deal with the war the that surrounds her home is given even more stress when her daughter begins talking about evil spirits.
Important themes of rebellion, feminism and oppression are tossed around, all the while Anvari is keen on keeping the viewer frightened as well. I don't know if it was the unfamiliarity of the setting that kept me on edge or the threat of missile coming through the window any second but not once did I feel comfort within the film. The supernatural evil of the film never really does a whole lot to frighten because it feels so familiar to the hundreds of "young woman & kid haunted" films that have come before it. Nevertheless, it's an intriguing brisk watch for ghostly horror fans tired of the North American/Japanese settings.
3 missing dollies out of 5
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