1980s Tehran is the rare setting for this horror film. With her husband drafted into the Iran-Iraq war, Shideh (Narges...
1980s Tehran is the rare setting for this horror film. With her husband drafted into the Iran-Iraq war, Shideh (Narges Rashidi) and her daughter must contend with the stresses of post-revolution, wartime Iran - and a mysterious evil presence haunting them.
"In 1988 Tehran, Shideh’s attempts to rejoin medical school after getting married and having daughter Dorsa are thwarted as a consequence of her politically active history. Her husband is sent off to serve in the Iran-Iraq War while Iraqi air raids draw perilously close to their own apartment. As she is left alone with Dorsa after neighbors and friends flee from a city in chaos, her daughter becomes increasingly ill and seemingly disturbed. Shideh initially dismisses Dorsa’s tantrums over a missing doll, but she reluctantly comes to suspect that they’ve been targeted by djinn—malevolent spirits that steal from those they seek to possess." (Sundance Film Festival)
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99 %92 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
71 %5,074 reviewsAudience score rating
"Shadow delivers the sort of sleek, swiftly paced freakout that streaming customers will gladly look past subtitles to experience."
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Variety
Variety"Quietly nerve-pricking ..."
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The New York Times
The New York Times"Under its scares, Under the Shadow serves as an impassioned allegory for female oppression - but Anvari doesn't shortchange horror fans."
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The Guardian
The Guardian"The despair and hopelessness of Rashidi's Shideh is a gripping portrait of a woman left to hold everything together - including herself."
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New Zealand Herald
New Zealand Herald"A tightly controlled chiller that carries a whiff of mother-daughter horror classics such as "Poltergeist" and "The Exorcist" ..."
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New York Post
New York Post"As much a study of a changing society as it is a story of evil spirits. The movie is first fascinating, then terrifying."
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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times"Anvari deftly builds and sustains tension throughout, crafting a horror movie that respects genre conventions (right down to the safe/not safe ending), while firmly establishing its own distinctive identity."
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Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter"A quality ghost story with an unusual backdrop and great performances."
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Empire Magazine
Empire MagazineUnder the Shadow | Details
Award winner- Outstanding British Debut, 2017 BAFTAs
- Runtime
- 83
- Genre
- Horror
- Country of origin
- Iran, Jordan, Qatar, UK
