To say I had high expectations for this film is an understatement and it mostly did deliver on its promise to be a dark and unnerving journey into paranoia and fear. The film starts with Curtis [played by the master of twitchy himself, Michael Shannon] looking up to the sky as an intense storm rains a strange yellow oily liquid onto him but he then awakes from his disturbing dream. Curtis seems to have a happy home with his wife Samantha and daughter on the outskirts of a small town. His daughter is deaf but has the opportunity to be put on a waiting list for expensive surgery to significantly improve her hearing by an implant – this will put a strain on the family resources but both Curtis and Samantha want the best for their daughter and are working towards making this happen.
We are then given further insight into the frightening dreams which often feature supernatural or life threatening events. Curtis feels such a strong reaction to his dreams that he begins to act upon them in more and more ways that disturb those closest to him and in ways that put financial pressure on the family as his increasing distance and fear that “something very wrong will happen soon” leads him to invest in improving his storm shelter as a way to protect his family from the impending doom. This decision impacts significantly on his work and home life. As he and all around him become concerned for his own sanity he revisits his family medical history to try to find some answers but struggles to make sense of what he finds. In amongst his confusion and fear Curtis sees no other option other than to trust his instinct to protect those he loves despite the more immediate consequences. He improves his storm shelter, buys food, gas masks and other supplies ready for the coming storm….
More Subtle Than The Average
Without spoiling it, the conclusion to the film is a little more subtle than many would like but efficient in its chilling consequence. Some have labelled this as a horror film and whilst there are some small elements of horror, it is more a psychologically disturbing film and it certainly keeps you guessing. The film left me in that state of bleakness I can only feel when I ve spent £11.00 on a ticket in a cold rundown West-End Odeon on a Tuesday night in January but happy that I did so because I needed to know what the film was about….
Summary
It’s worth seeing this film for the subtle-yet-disturbing factor. Don’t expect traditional frights as thankfully, it is not about that. Expect unnerving, expect forboding and expect a great performance from Michael Shannon who provides expertise in being the quiet man on the fringes of sanity, not dealing too well with his demons. If you like Take Shelter but want to see even more disturbing scenes featuring Michael Shannon you will probably like William Friedkin’s Bug which was in many ways a more traditional horror film with a strong psychological element.
Take Shelter is not perfect, as in hindsight, many of the dreams did not fit comfortably with the story’s conclusion and for about 20 minutes the film seems to drag but don’t let that put you off – its definitely worth a look.
