Shelley (2016)
Usually a movie starts or ends well, often with a middle part that drags. This was the other way around for me, as it took a while to hook me, and then it lost me again in the last part. Basically the best part is the actual “problematic” pregnancy. I think the movie is mostly carried by Cosmina Stratan. The potentially possessed fetus makes for a great atmosphere filled with tension and uncertainty, which is sort of lost when the baby gets born. It is also very much an open ended film with more questions than answers, and plenty of room to “fill in the blanks”. Too much so perhaps, as it is hard to get an idea at what the director intends to convey here. Is it just a simple symbolic representation of the fear of becoming a parent, or something more political about class differences or maybe a feminist message? It doesn’t point clearly in any direction, but possible to interpret many things if you want. Which can be a strength, but I think here it felt too directionless. However, the movie does show Ali Abbasi as a very interesting filmmaker, which led to the absolute fantastic Gräns two years later.
Rating: 3