Director
D.J. Caruso
Cast
Rainey Qualley - Jessica Nash
Luciana VanDette - Lainey Nash
Jake Horowitz - Rob
Vincent Gallo - Sammy
I've sat through probably too much of the mindless, tasteless drivel the horror genre has produced over the decades. But I've also watched, and re-watched, some of the most sublime and magnificent horror films made. "Frankenstein" (1931) remains one of my favorite movies in the genre.
On February 10, the conservative news site, The Daily Wire, released its first original horror movie "Shut In." I was taken in by the fact a relatively new news agency is producing its own horror film. I had to see what this would be like. So, I managed to catch the premier.
Often horror movies elevate the monster into a hero of sorts. Torture and murder become the homeruns audiences cheer for. Often do horror fans prefer to see the monster slaughter the innocent young girls. The more kills, the better. That's where schlock comes from. Sure, a lot of it is freaky and frightening. Freaky and frightening is what attracts audiences and horror fans. But with such schlocky horror movies, that's all there is to take away at the end.
In an episode of "Siskel and Ebert at the Movies," film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert narrowed in on this aspect of horror films which they claimed is often mixed with misogyny.
In that episode, Ebert says, "I think a lot of people have the wrong idea. They identify these films with earlier thrillers like 'Psycho' or even a more recent film like 'Halloween', which we both liked. These films aren’t in the same category. These films hate women, and, unfortunately, the audiences that go to them don’t seem to like women much either. To sit there [in a theater] surrounded by people who are identifying, not with the victim but with the attacker, the killer – cheering these killers on, it’s a very scary experience.”
In an episode of "Siskel and Ebert at the Movies," film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert narrowed in on this aspect of horror films which they claimed is often mixed with misogyny.
In that episode, Ebert says, "I think a lot of people have the wrong idea. They identify these films with earlier thrillers like 'Psycho' or even a more recent film like 'Halloween', which we both liked. These films aren’t in the same category. These films hate women, and, unfortunately, the audiences that go to them don’t seem to like women much either. To sit there [in a theater] surrounded by people who are identifying, not with the victim but with the attacker, the killer – cheering these killers on, it’s a very scary experience.”
"Shut In" offers a relatable, frightening tale about a woman. Jessica Nash (Rainey Qualley) is a former meth addict who's now focused on keeping her life clean as she raises two young children.
She lives in an inherited old farm house that belonged to her grandmother. Her plan is to sell the house, which is surrounded by apple trees, so she can move to a new location and start a fresh life.
While packing up belongings, Jessica accidentally gets locked in the kitchen pantry. While she's in there, her drug addicted violent ex-husband Rob (Jake Horowitz) shows up to the house with his drug addict buddy, Sammy (Vincent Gallo). Jessica is weary of Sammy as he's been previously accused of pedophilia.
Rob lets her out of the pantry. As the two guys are clearly high and looking for cash, Rob locks Jessica back in the pantry in a fit of anger. He nails it shut as a form of "punishment" stemming from his own jealousy towards her undergoing drug rehabilitation. He also intentionally kicks a small bag of cocaine under the pantry door so she can fall back into her old habit. Rob insists she's not better than he is.
The two guys leave. Jessica now has to make sure her daughter, Lainey, is able to help take care of her son, Mason, while she's lock in the pantry. Mason is still a toddler, and Lainey is about four-years old. Sammy returns to the house alone several hours later. Jessica quickly has to find a way to stop him from harming her children.
And she must quickly find a way to get out of the pantry.
Amidst all her worries and fears, Jessica's period of darkness in the pantry forces her to face her urges to fall back into her cocaine habit, think about her relationship with God, and come to terms about being a mother despite feelings of inadequacy to be a good mom.
How will she come out of this darkness?
Qualley's performance is magnificent as she so easily conveys Jessica's emotions and turmoil through simple inflections and body language. It's almost flawless.
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| Rainey Qualley as Jessica Nash in "Shut In." |
For a thriller, Shut In focuses a lot more on the moral of the story rather than the trepidation and sense of danger within the scenario.
Initially, I anticipated the movie would focus more on the kids being in a place of danger while their mother is locked in the pantry and wicked men take advantage of the situation.
As the film progresses, this isn't quite the case.
While some moments build up tension, they're quickly relieved. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad film. It simply wasn't as thrilling as I anticipated after watching the trailers.
Monsters looming over us in dark places don't necessarily have to be evil demons, or machete yielding killers in hockey masks. They can simply be those small things we fight every day that bring us down, such as a small bag of cocaine, our own sense of failure, or bad company. Those worst case scenarios can be truly frightening to watch.
Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing endorses this film as an artistic one.
In his "Letter to Artists" Pope John Paul II writes, "Even when they explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, artists give voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption."
Suffering, inner-turmoil, and the desire to be rescued are themes running throughout the movie. "Shut In" accomplishes what it sets out to do without being preachy or hammering its themes over the heads of the audiences.
The audience can easily put themselves in the main characters place. And not only are they in the pantry with her, they can reflect on their own struggles while she struggles with her own situation. They can realize the same truths as she does. There's always a way out. We just have to be willing to get a few scrapes and scars in the process.
I've always been of the opinion that horror should act as a sort of "how to" guide when it comes to facing our fears. Horror movies like this one can encourage us to overcome, rather than succumb.
Though a bit underwhelming in its thrills, "Shut In" is truly one of the best thriller films I have seen in a while. The horror is certainly more psychological than bloody.
The simple, relatable, yet frightening scenario reminds me of something Stephen King would produce where the protagonist finds themselves stuck in some agonizing situation that could happen to anyone. Donna Trenton finds herself stuck in her Ford Pinto with her son Tad, fighting against the threat of dehydration and heat stroke as the ravenous St. Bernard dog, Cujo, waits to attack them outside their car.
The only way out will require some sort of sacrifice, perhaps for the better. The protagonist will find their freedom. That much is certainly obvious. The cost of freedom isn't so obvious.
Their exit from the darkness will leave a scar. And that scar will always be there. For Jessica, the freedom and the life waiting for her on the other end of the darkness within the pantry is much more sweeter. She's a mother, and that's worth any sacrifice.
In his book "Danse Macabre", King says, "Horror movies do not love death, as some have suggested; they love life. They do not celebrate deformity, but by dwelling on deformity they sing of health and energy. By showing us the miseries of the damned they help us rediscover the smaller joys of our own lives. They are the barber’s leeches of the psyche, drawing not bad blood but anxiety … for a little while anyway."
It's certainly not a ground-breaking film in the horror genre. It's a story similar to films such as "Panic Room" (2002) and "Don't Breath" (2016) but with a bit more emphasis on its themes. Still, I'm glad I saw it.
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