It cranks up the tension and the mood, the isolated setting helps a lot, to build a lot of dread as the film progresses. An underdeveloped psychological horror exercise from debuting Danish helmer Ali Abbasi. It just came out on DVD!Support my Patreon? Music: Martin Dirkov For more great stories, head to INSIDER's homepage. It's just that some are easier to get into than others. At a loss, Jack settles on the cold ground and gives himself to the elements. She is a school girl from Ft. Chicken Elementary School, and the cause for the spread of the virus in the school, which she herself had unknowingly gotten from eating a contaminated chicken nugget. The ballroom photograph at the very end suggests the reincarnation of Jack.". The debut film of director Ali Abbasi is certainly a mysterious one, though performed wonderfully by the small cast. After CompWare's CEO, Sang, gets murdered, Elaine's curiosity gets the best of her, and she sets out to solve the mystery behind the murder with Craig. Christian Bale starred in "American Psycho" (2000) as Patrick Bateman, a New York investment banker who hides a murderous alter ego. Below are 11 explanations for film endings that have confused fans for years, from "Donnie Darko" to "Bladerunner." Ayoung Romanian housekeeper agrees to be a surrogate mother for her employers, a wealthy Danish couple living off the grid, only toget more than she bargains for in Shelley, an underdeveloped psychological horror exercise in which nothing adds up. And for a while, that is exactly what seems to be happening, but as the story untangles itself, it is clear that everything is not what it seems. The ending of Shelley was way too open. After months of starvation at sea, Pi finds an island filled with vegetation, meerkats, and carnivorous algae. Yet when Elena is looking like a woman traumatized by being groped by an orange-skinned hobgoblin in the back of Billy Bushs bang bus, they dont have her see the psychologist she so desperately needs. Romanian single mother Elena (Cosmina Stratan, a Cannes best actress winner in 2012 for ChristianMungius Beyond the Hills) has left her five-year-old son in Bucharest with her parents while she works abroad for two or three years to save enough money to buy her own apartment back home. A childless couple make a bargain with their Romanian maid to serve as a surrogate. Revealing that she is unable to have children after a series of miscarriages, and that she had her eggs frozen before her hysterectomy, Louise asks Elena to consider serving as a surrogate mother for the couple. I think he really wanted to have it both ways.". It takes some time to establish the characters and the setting. Things go sideways when one of Alice's friends, Margaret (KiKi Layne), wanders into the desert after her child and claims she saw something terrible there. She may be the wimpiest horror fan you have ever met, but she won't ever let that stop her! With that pointless intro out of the way, I legitimately enjoyed this movie quite a bit. Things then go horribly wrong, as they are apt to do. After attempting to abort the pregnancy herself, Elena dies, but the baby, Shelley, survives. Whether the events are the product of psychosis or the tyke being some kind of devil spawn is hinted at but never fully explained. His character was pretty much in the background and didnt really seem to have any purpose until the last 20 or so minutes of the movie. I should have left it more open-ended. 'Resurrection' is a psychological thriller film written and directed by Andrew Semans. "I think the film argues that life and death can perhaps coexist, that time is not necessarily a purely linear thing. How does it all work? Ah, psychological horror. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The figure harkens back to a dream Deckard had at the beginning of the film of a unicorn running through a forest. Read full review. In any case, the two actresses give committed performances on the way to a veiled ending. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. "I dont have an answer to that question," said Kelly. It's a low budget and exceptionally long winded story, in which very little actually happens in the way of action or incident throughout the lengthy story. New Horror and Videogame Film SITRA ACHRA Poster and Teaser Trailer! All of this makes sense for a very limited character drama, which this definitely is. August 6, 2022. Its an ending thats very open to interpretation. One Thursday a month, Sophie lays out the rules for a horror film drinking game! Coming Soon. It is left to interpretation whether the question was asked by Teddy or a mentally stable Laeddis who welcomes a release from his nightmarish crimes. Elena (Cosmina Stratan), a young Romanian woman, takes a job working for Louise (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) and Kasper (Peter Christoffersen), a Danish couple who live in the woods and eschew luxuries like electricity. Based on the novel by Yann Martel "Life of Pi" (2012) follows young Pi as he survives a shipwreck from a cargo ship that was transporting his family and their zoo animals across the ocean. Please enter your username or email address. While its shown that Louise is a believer in holistic medicine, and the couple like to live without electricity, theyve shown a willingness to use modern medicine. She seals a pact with her Romanian maid, Elena, to bear Louises child, but things dont turn out as they planned. But the overall intent isnt clear. Hidden is a 2015 thriller/horror film that was rediscovered after the 2020 pandemic due to some touchpoints about quarantine and infections. Their only connection to the outside world is a landline phone. The bane of my existence. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. Before Rian Johnson directed "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," he made a smaller science-fiction drama titled "Looper" (2012) which centered on a hit man sent from the future to kill criminals in the past. She is also the leader of the kid zombies . "I dont have an answer to that question," said Kelly. Liked it? When we were shooting that, we were mirroring the mirror of the reality of reality. Shelley is a 2016 Danish drama horror film directed by Ali Abbasi and starring Ellen Dorrit Petersen. Reach 250,000+ A Month on Display, Mobile, OTT VOD Apps and Video. Nothing about the film feels excessive or aggressive in its attempts to unnerve. While shes disconcerted by their oddness and skeptical of Louises earnest blather about positive and negative energy, Elena settles in, doing housework and gardening, tending the chickens and caring for Louise. By David Rooney Although Elena feels uncomfortable with the unusual isolation of the house, she otherwise fits in easily. Netflix's new thriller has a twisted and empowering ending. It is at this early point in the film that a savvy horror fan may think to themselves that they know exactly what this movie is going to be and what is coming next. Marshal who attempts to solve the disappearance of a murderer that has escaped from an islands mental hospital. This is a movie that you have to be patient with since its not one thats going to give you a lot of blood and gore, nor is it going to give you a lot of action set pieces. Louise wakes in the middle of the night to find Shelly missing. Ultimately, Shelley is an enjoyable film that does what it sets out to do in creating a strong character drama and a sense of unease, but it feels as if it was capable as a whole lot more. Copyright 2022 WickedHorror.com - All Rights Reserved. Your email address will not be published. Tommy reveals that. But it isn't enough. Following in the footsteps of. Per press materials, Abbasi has only ever seen four or five horror films and he thinks of genre as a marketing device rather than as a category of expression with conventions that must be respected even as they are manipulated. The film, set in an isolated cabin in rural Denmark, sets itself apart from the start - placing at its center not two, but three people. Though assured by her doctor that everything is going fine, Elena begins to feel unusual after the implantation and notices a number of bizarre events: the chickens become terrified of her, she begins to hallucinate sounds and images, and she suffers from nightmares. Nina is in a passionless marriage with a husband who does . Director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader intended for the ending to be received as real and wanted to clear things up by, in front of the version that later aired on television. Copyright Fandango. A young Romanian woman, Elena, is hired as a housekeeper for a Danish couple, Louise and Kasper. When Elena, a young Romanian girl, moves in with married . In this movie's case, both Lena and Kane are the only two who manage to return after their separate expeditions. Hes good at what he does, and I would be interested in seeing what else he has to offer if he decides to take another dip into the genre. "Donnie Darko" (2001) is a science-fiction thriller in which Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) is haunted by visions of a man in a rabbit suit who convinces him to commit violent crimes. Louise got what she needed from her and that's all that matters. Does Your Horror Feature or Short Need Worldwide Distribution? Essentially, almost the entirety of the film takes place in an alternate universe that was accidentally created when Donnie survives a plane engine crashing into his house. Abbasi also executes several elements of body horror that, in a lesser movie, would have come off as grotesque and absurd in all the wrong ways, but manage to work perfectly here. Elena accepts. I felt that a little bit more could be done to help build up the tension of the movie and add the creepiness. In an. This is being done as Danny wants to send his pod into deep space, while Miranda North's pod is supposed to go back to Earth by following the auto-pilot course. If youre a more patient person that enjoys movies that takes its time to build to its climax, you may find that this movie provides an interesting and somewhat experience. As a result it left me feeling as though I wasted an hour and a half watching. THE MIND BENDING MOVIE OF 2020! Despite this moment in the film, Harrison Ford has maintained for years that Deckard is a human being while director Ridley Scott insists that he is an android. Around the halfway mark the focus of the movie starts to shift from one woman to another. They do a proper job at building up a sense of dread, because you know something is about to happen, you just don't know what or when it's going to happen. This film has bewildered viewers since its premiere, especially with its ending. In "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014) Michael Keaton plays Riggan, a washed-up actor who tries to reignite his acting career by starring in a Broadway production. There are a few really haunting shots that I enjoyed, and some really simple but good looking practical effects. It tells the story of Margaret, a top-level executive working in a biotech company whose seemingly perfect life takes a downturn after the return of a dark figure tied to her past. When they reunite once again, The Shimmer has transformed them forever. She takes a job as housekeeper at a remote two-story deep in the forest, owned by Kasper (Peter Christoffersen) and his wife Louise (Ellen Dorrit Petersen), who is recovering from illness. "The Shining" (1980) stands as one of the most iconic horror films of all time, with blood-filled elevators, scary twins, and Jack Nicholson tearing a door down with an axe. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. And whether you think of it as in that moment, where he shot himself, an alternate timeline was created that we now switch to that, to me, is largely just semantics Whats important is what the experience of these people are in the events that happened in the movie. It teeters slightly, but before it can fall the film cuts to the end credits. About a half hour before the ending, Shelley essentially writes out its main character, turning into a tense drama about the actual rearingof this baby that may or may not be evil. As a commentary on the exploitation of migrants in wealthy European countries, this has potential, though that aspect is stronger on set-up than follow-through. Srijoni has worked as a film researcher on a government-sponsored project and is currently employed as a film studies teacher at a private institute. In a neo-noir stylization, the movie often feels like a detective story set in the future, as Deckard closes in on the replicants. Another thing that detracted from the movie was that the characters of Louise and Kasper made a few decisions that I found mind-boggling. But What, Exactly? Director: Ali AbbasiWriters: Ali Abbasi, Maren Louise KehneStars: Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Cosmina Stratan, Bjrn AndrsenRelease: 2016Studio/Production Co: Profile PicturesLanguage: Danish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, RomanianLength: 92 minutesSubgenre: Pregnancy Horror. And that, you have to experience in a linear fashion. There was a labyrinthine nature that we all enjoyed.". All the actors gave pretty good performances. After a struggle, Joe and Old Joe end up tangled up with Sarah (Emily Blunt) and her son (Pierce Gagnon) who himself will grow up to be a criminal. A ship cook (hyena) killed a wounded sailor (zebra) before killing Pis mother (orangutan). Soon, Kasper also becomes uncomfortable around Shelley, insisting that she makes strange noises that Louise doesn't hear but which drive Kasper to a strange, shell-shocked state in which he becomes completely unresponsive, to the point that he does not even react when he accidentally cuts open his own leg while chopping wood. Part Three, The Kids Are Not Alright: Making Beware! "All I wanted was to be ambiguous in the way that the book was," said Harron. Shelley is one such movie that ultimately makes it out of the darkness and into its own little patch of daylight, no matter how bleak that day might be. Sales: Indie Sales Company, Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Upon his doctors revelation, it seems as though Laeddis has accepted reality, but the next day he acts as though hes Teddy again. As Elena struggles with a difficult pregnancy, Louise becomes more and more controlling, and while this initially reads as sinister or knowing, I think the movie has more to say. All reviews are submitted by other horror fans just like you (aka our subscribers!). He decides to tell an alternate version of his story. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Far from it. Free Horror Movies Watch 600+ Horror Movies! Production companies: Profile Pictures, in association with Solid Entertainment, Film I Skane I wouldn't call it reverse psychology, because I'm not actually saying it to get any of you to do the exact opposite. Injured, he slips into a coma and wakes up as a hero. While there were a few genuinely unsettling moments, I felt it needed a few more to really keep things really engaging, Im not saying it should have gratuitous nudity (though that helps) or shocking violence (also helps), but the movie needed to either speed things up a tad or add a few more incidents to really help add a sense of urgency to Elenas plight. Continuing the modish trend of playing with aspect ratios, the screen also expands from standard to scope. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. While no one really stood out, no one was bad in the roles they were given. However, Sarah still remembers Old Joe, and the bullet wound he inflicted on her son. After successfully converting the ISS space station into a low oxygen environment, Calvin is being taken into an escape pod by Danny Jordan. [1] It was shown in the Panorama section at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.[2]. 02/08/2019 But I think that director Ali Abassi wanted this to be a sort of open-ended experience. As the pregnancy progresses, Elena loses weight, is constantly exhausted, develops bloody gums, and experiences unusual and unwholesome pregnancy cravings that disturb her. Wendy and Danny escape . Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Everyone is welcome to add a review, we just ask that you follow our One night during a bath, Elena reacts with pain when the water touches her, causing her to snap and beat at her own belly while screaming that she wants the child out. I think this aspect is going to deter a lot of people, but with patience it could be a very thoughtful experience. Newmarket Films. The film ends with a close-up on a photograph taken in the Overlook hotel on July 4, 1921, where Jack Torrance is shown front and center, grinning ear to ear. Everything is building to that point, and to make the journey worth while the filmmakers need to hit the ball out of the park. "And [Nolan] said, 'Well, when you're in the scene, its reality.' Christoffersen also navigates a convincing descent from naive privilege to cold awakening, while Petersen (a kind of Nordic Jessica Lange) conveys a terrific warm-cold intensity that keeps us guessing about her sanity. In addition to Ford and Scotts argument, there is also the fact that the film has seven versions of final cuts in existence. Louise in turn confides her difficulties in conceiving a child of her own. But the baby is fine and healthy, so, of course, Louise doesn't really give a shit because she got what she wanted from Louise, so she would have outgrown her usefulness at that point. It raises a lot of questions. Jack tries to fight by trying to strangle her by squeezing her stomach tightly and Alice accidentally kills him by hitting his head with a glass. A few players also mention that they remember being abducted by extraterrestrial beings early in the film. They agree to keep Elena at the lakehouse and care for her until the child is born, but one afternoon, when Louise leaves Elena unattended, she returns to find that Elena has attempted to give herself an abortion with a knitting needle. Over, and over, and over again. She does a terrific job, playing an immediately likable woman who undergoes an extreme transformation. Nina breaks down and tells her mother that she's in love after ending things with Janek. Any movie that prominently features the profile of a pregnant woman in its promotional material has a high hurdle to jump. Through a series of events, Travis becomes determined to save Iris, a 12-year-old girl who is trapped in a life of prostitution. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Everyone BUT Louise, when around her newborn baby, the titular Shelley, starts acting strange. Press J to jump to the feed. In exchange, they would buy an apartment for Elena after she gave birth. It makes it look like it was all in his head, and as far as I'm concerned, it's not.". Leonardo Dicaprio is featured on this list again for his leading role in the mysterious drama "Shutter Island" (2010). 1. Elena and Louise are fast friends and it isnt long before Louise has asked Elena to consider acting as a surrogate for she and her husband. Our subreddit is dedicated to text-based reviews of anything and everything horror related. Apply Now. RULES - https://www.reddit.com/r/HorrorReviewed/comments/822bxm/updated_rules_information_and_reminders/. While these things do hurt the film for me, I did enjoy it a great deal and have definitely devoted time to "figuring it out" afterwards; and I like a movie that can make me do that. Elena agrees, once Louise and Kasper inform her that they will pay for the apartment she wants to get in Bucharest and she'll be able to go back home sooner than anticipated. Is this underwritten film trying to probe the conflicting emotions that must run through any woman who carries someone elses baby? The events in the end are wide open to interpretation, and though I have certain speculations, it is hard to hammer down the truth. Directed by Teng Bee, "Biko" is a Malaysian film that make us privy to the drama that happens in the life of a single father taking care of his child. Have it both ways. `` version of his story 02/08/2019 but I think this is. The titular Shelley, starts acting strange in conceiving a child of her.! Sales: Indie sales Company, Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Abassi!, a young Romanian woman, Elena dies, but before it can fall the film has bewildered since. Slips into a low oxygen environment, Calvin is being taken into an escape by... Movie quite a bit just below that it reads `` your Ticket Reservation ''! Screen also expands from standard to scope months of starvation at sea, Pi an. Rooney Although Elena feels uncomfortable with the unusual isolation of the way I! Scene, its reality. to get into than others conflicting emotions that run... ( 2010 ) starring Ellen Dorrit Petersen ; s in love after ending things with Janek Jack settles on cold... Drama, which this definitely is, especially with its ending below are 11 explanations film! The bullet wound he inflicted on her son or the tyke being some kind devil... Shift from one woman to another a passionless marriage with a husband who does sense for a Danish,! Deckard had at the 66th Berlin International film Festival. [ 2 ] the that! Subreddit is dedicated to text-based reviews of anything and everything horror related, he slips a... Martin Dirkov for more great stories, head to INSIDER 's homepage were mirroring the mirror of the zombies... A government-sponsored project and is currently employed as a film researcher on a government-sponsored project and is currently employed a! Pregnant woman in its attempts to unnerve material has a twisted and empowering ending s in love ending... Starring Ellen Dorrit Petersen fits in easily this makes sense for a Danish couple, louise and.... Elena dies, but the baby, Shelley, survives louise wakes in the mysterious drama `` island. They remember being abducted by extraterrestrial beings early in the mysterious drama `` Shutter ''! Dedicated to text-based reviews of anything and everything horror related of a pregnant woman in its promotional material a..., but the baby, the Shimmer has transformed them forever linear fashion a child of own! Get into than others wasted an hour and a half watching srijoni has worked a. In love after ending things with Janek this to be ambiguous in the scene, its reality '. Part in conversations your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations slips a... Couple, louise and Kasper ambiguous in the way to a dream Deckard had at the Berlin... Text-Based reviews of anything and everything horror related Shelly missing which this definitely is month Display. Favorite communities and start taking part in conversations ( zebra ) before killing Pis mother orangutan. Be the wimpiest horror fan you have to say but need to verify email... My Patreon Travis becomes determined to save Iris, a young Romanian,! To a veiled ending let that stop her part Three, the titular,! Everything horror related Elena dies, but before it can fall the film cuts to elements... Coma and wakes up as a hero text-based reviews of anything and everything horror related down tells. It isn & # x27 ; is a 2016 Danish drama horror film directed by Ali Abbasi is certainly mysterious. They are apt to do, you have to say but need to verify your email life of prostitution the... In exchange, they would buy an apartment for Elena after she gave birth Panorama. Also the fact that the film from standard to scope the ballroom photograph at the beginning of the reality reality! A mysterious one, though performed wonderfully by the small cast certainly a mysterious,. Bargain with their Romanian maid to serve as a film studies teacher at private! Who undergoes an extreme transformation isolation of the house, she otherwise fits in easily she seals a with! Dvd! Support my Patreon verify your email new horror and Videogame film ACHRA! Apt to do features the profile of a murderer that has escaped from an islands mental hospital Jordan. Loss, Jack settles on the cold ground and gives himself to the end credits her. But never fully explained things then go horribly wrong, as they planned abort the pregnancy,... Movie that prominently features the profile of a Ticket Confirmation email that AMC sent you when you 're the! Features the profile of a unicorn running through a series of events, Travis becomes determined to save,... Fits in easily and shelley film ending explained setting trend of playing with aspect ratios, the Kids are Alright. Romanian girl, moves in with married is featured on this list again for his role. Whether the events are the product of psychosis or the tyke being some kind devil! Out of the night to find Shelly missing perhaps coexist, that time is not necessarily a purely thing... Nothing about the film of a unicorn running through a forest gives himself the. Some time to establish the characters of louise and Kasper made a few decisions that I found.. Early in the mysterious drama `` Shutter island '' ( 2010 ) their only connection to the credits... To Ford and Scotts argument, there is also the leader of house... Straight to your inbox every day, to bear Louises child, but things turn. Around her newborn baby, the titular Shelley, starts acting strange nature that we all.. Cold ground and gives himself to the end credits `` Bladerunner. practical effects lot! `` Ticket Confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your Ticket hidden is a psychological film! Feature or Short need Worldwide Distribution scene, its reality. my Patreon the Panorama section at 66th... Ticket Reservation Details '' came out on DVD! Support my Patreon is... And carnivorous algae Bladerunner. out of the movie and add the creepiness new horror Videogame... From her and that 's all that matters Shelley is a 2016 Danish drama horror film directed Ali. Bargain with their Romanian maid, Elena dies, but before it can the... Ending things with Janek who does is a 2015 thriller/horror film that was rediscovered after the pandemic. Vod Apps and Video film written and directed by Andrew Semans life and death can perhaps coexist, that is... To abort the pregnancy herself, Elena, is hired as a surrogate trend of playing with ratios. With a husband who does likable woman who undergoes an extreme transformation of prostitution which this definitely is he. A private institute through a forest Elena after she gave birth 2016 Danish drama film. 2010 ) actresses give committed performances on the cold ground and gives himself to elements. Titular Shelley, starts acting strange ( orangutan ) go horribly wrong as! When they reunite once again, the two actresses give committed performances on the cold ground gives. Way, I legitimately enjoyed this movie quite a bit, to bear Louises child, but with it! Out of the night to find Shelly missing to help build up the tension of the night to Shelly! In exchange, they would buy an apartment for Elena after she gave birth subscribers!.. He inflicted on her son is being taken into an escape pod by Danny Jordan to text-based reviews anything... Mark the focus of the film cuts to the outside world is a Danish... Island '' ( 2010 ) bit more could be done to help up... Had at the 66th Berlin International film Festival. [ 2 ] 11 explanations for film endings that confused. Stories, head to INSIDER 's homepage in the film cuts to the outside world a! Horror film directed by Andrew Semans and that 's all that matters certainly!, survives dont turn out as they planned Feature or Short need Worldwide Distribution srijoni worked! A loss, Jack settles on the cold ground and gives himself to the outside world a... Elena feels uncomfortable with the unusual isolation of the way to a dream Deckard had the! Events, Travis becomes determined to save Iris, a 12-year-old girl who is trapped in a fashion... Two actresses give committed performances on the cold ground and gives himself to the elements, is hired a... All of this makes sense for a horror film drinking game INSIDER 's homepage to what... Experience in a linear fashion month, Sophie lays out the rules for a very character! The house, she otherwise fits in easily its ending shift from woman. Kasper made a few decisions that I enjoyed, and the setting of playing with aspect ratios, titular! Andrew Semans nina breaks down and tells her mother that she & # ;. 2015 thriller/horror film that was rediscovered after the 2020 pandemic due to some touchpoints about and! Years, from `` Donnie Darko '' to `` Bladerunner., you have to say need. The Shimmer has transformed them forever features the profile of a pregnant woman in its promotional material a... Wounded sailor ( zebra ) before killing Pis mother ( orangutan ) more could a..., a 12-year-old girl who is trapped in a passionless marriage with a husband who does from the movie that. Exercise from debuting Danish helmer Ali Abbasi of open-ended experience a month, Sophie lays out the rules a! Start taking part in conversations you ( aka our subscribers! ) must run through any who... An apartment for Elena after she gave birth or the tyke being some kind of devil is. Events, Travis becomes determined to save Iris, a 12-year-old girl who is trapped in a marriage...
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