Shut In movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Shut In

This gritty and dramatic thriller is now available on The Daily Wire

RATING: TV-MA

LENGTH: 1 hour 28 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

The conservative news site “The Daily Wire” has now produced two feature films with more to come. They claim they are tired of Hollywood producing films with a leftist political and social agenda, so they have now gotten into the movie business! You can see my movie review of their first film called Run, Hide, Fight by clicking here.

The first one was a movie that was already made when they bought the distribution rights. This second film is different in that The Daily Wire was involved with the actual production of the movie. Just because The Daily Wire is involved doesn’t mean this is a movie filled with conservative propaganda. Don’t expect a cheesy Christian film. It is definitely not.

The story of this second film is about a young mother who gets locked inside her big pantry by her violent ex-boyfriend. She has to use ingenuity to protect her toddler and baby from escalating danger on the other side of the heavy pantry door while trying to figure out how to escape.

That sounds like a horror movie, right? Well, it kind of is, as well as a thriller filled with harrowing moments.

THINGS I LIKED:

There are so many subtle symbols that add intriguing layers to the story. Notice symbols of apples, where blood is shown, and even the manner in which a character emerges through a structure. They all represent sacrifice, inspiration, temptation, and rebirth.
The film does a great job at creating and building tension, especially for mothers who will be watching their worst nightmare unfold and experiencing a roller-coaster ride of emotions.
The cinematography is very well done, especially considering all of the tight spaces and angles in which the camera had to work. The camera angles constantly change and keep the scenes interesting.
We’re able to get inside of the mother’s head as she anguishes over every decision. As the movie progresses, we see her attitude toward her children change from annoyance to fierce devotion.
I had never seen any of the actors before. They all did a great job, especially Rainey Qualley. She’s believable and realistic. Her costars also give powerful performances: Jake Horowitz and Vincent Gallo.
The little girl played by Luciana Vandette is completely adorable. I’d love to see her in more films.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some viewers will expect a clean, safe movie since it has been produced by The Daily Wire, which is a conservative site for several political podcasts, videos, and shows. The film is very dark and brutal. All of the adults in the movie have had or currently have drug addictions and serious character flaws. The movie definitely doesn’t illustrate a perfect Pollyanna perspective on life.