Shut In

I was actually very impressed with DJ Caruso's cinematography and how he was able to make great use of the very small location.

About 50-60% of this film takes place in a pantry, with the rest happening in the surrounding single house, yet it never feels like Caruso uses the same camera angle twice. The perspective is constantly shifting, and it makes this location feel bigger and this story feel more eventful than they are on paper.

So, I never felt bored. The script gives Jessica just enough to do and just enough to say so that we can really understand her as a character and get to know her goals and her thought process.

But the script also tries to give her a redemption arc, and these are unfortunately the parts that came across as really cheesy to me. Whenever the film focused on this, the dialogue was very forced.

The ending also leaves something to be desired. It goes from gritty thriller to corny fairytale ending and it was kind of laughable.

Still, I'm impressed that The Daily Wire made something apolitical and competently helmed. Props to them!

Don't listen to the haters who have clearly not seen this movie and still gave it a rating. I saw it and I'm actually quite surprised at the high quality of the production value. The entire cast but especially the lead was outstanding. I'm talking award-worthy. Everything is intense and every scene is riveting. The third act was genuinely surprising as was the entire film. I highly recommend this endeavor.

My wife and I found the movie a bit tedious and boring. From the Rotten Tomatoes scores I expected something a few notches higher. It was a well-made film with good acting but at the end of the day the pacing was a bit tedious, it lacked suspense in obvious places where suspense could have been heightened (not knowing what was taking place with the children), and mostly it was just a bit flat. The over-use of themes like the main character staring at the Bible and staring at the cross felt out of place and forced, like I was watching a Christian film that somehow had to let you know it was a Christian film. It was also the type of movie where you find yourself saying... "Why didn't she do this? Why didn't she do that?" This type of frustration builds for the viewer as you begin to disconnect more and more from being sucked in my the movie, finding yourself on the outside looking in at a film and wondering why the director couldn't see it from an audience's viewpoint. Near the end, we laughed several times. Here's an example of why. The lead character couldn't get out of the pantry early on before it was boarded. Yes, at the end she busted through and upstairs door like she was John Wayne coming to kick some serious tail. It was a head-smacker of a moment.

It wasn't bad at all, it was pretty much what I expected. It was boring in the beginning until the half of the movie but then it became more intense, the performances were great though, I think I needed some more tension to like it more but it was okay, I don't think I would watch it a second time though.

This was a solid movie and had a great message.

I'll be honest, with the subject matter - it was tough to watch. I was anxious and on edge throughout the film - a mother locked in a pantry unable to protect her children from the predator on the other side of the door. Super stressful but had a very satisfying conclusion.

I will say that I'm not a huge fan of the movies where the majority of the action takes place "in one room" or "in a car" - those movies never really appeal to me and tend to feel like they quickly lose steam and drag on.

While I did feel, at times, that the pacing of this movie was less than ideal - the acting was superb across the board. Really surprised by the acting chops of Rainey Qualle and also pleasantly surprised that they got a really good child actress to who played the daughter in this film. With many kid actors you can tell they are exactly that... a kid that is acting... but here Lucianna VanDette is so comfortable and natural with her acting (and props to the director in this regard) that you really buy in - you aren't watching an act - you're watching a mother and daughter.

Good acting across the board.

I definitely recommend that you watch the movie if you have the chance.

Great work by the Daily Wire & I'm excited to see what they bring us in the future (Terror on the Prarie on June 9th in particular!)