Shiva Baby

Loved this film. I thought it was highly relatable as a gay-jewish man. Lots of family similarities. Each character was perfectly casted and realistic. Rachel Sennott was great, the audience really can empathize with her and feel her anxiety and panic rising with each scene. The way the soundtrack and music correlated with the scenes was perfect. I've been seeing some reviews compare it to a horror film, which is quite accurate, considering a family gathering can be horrific, traumatic, especially for a teenager / young-adult. I also found this film really funny, in a dark, unintentional way. Each character was just so absurd and an over-the-top caricature of what a nagging old Jewish lady could be like. The actress who played her mother was perfect as the over-bearing Jewish mother, with constant interrogation of her personal life, and crude jokes. I felt like the movie could have been a long pilot episode for a TV series. The ending was a bit abrupt, but other than that, it was an enjoyable film.

Rachel Sennott plays a college girl who leaves a night spent with her sugar daddy to head to a traditional Jewish wake. At that wake, she runs into her not-so-secret "scandalous" ex-girlfriend... and that very same sugar daddy, fully in tow with his wife and newborn baby. The first-time feature from director, Emma Seligman, plays like an awkward comedy and a claustrophobic horror. Sennott is spectacular in the lead role... and the extensive supporting cast is fakakta brilliant.

Shiva Baby is better than I thought it would be. I'm not going to say I was constantly laughing, far from that, but it definitely has something entertaining about it. Rachel Sennott did a great job playing her character. Watching her lie through her teeth all the time, and that whilst staying very charming (I think she's a real looker to be honest), it had to be done. The story is simple but effective. The funny parts are the older women gossiping in their Jewish way. The cinematography was not bad at all, with some really good shots every now and then. Shiva Baby isn't a long movie, rather too short, but for an indie production it's certainly worth watching.

Shiva Baby is equally funny and stressful. The comedy makes some clever observations whilst the film generally keeps escalating until it hits an inevitable breaking point. With a film this consistently stressful, it clocking in at only 78 minutes really works because any longer could've been too much.

Rachel Sennott is amazing, really funny whilst trying to hide the growing sense of unease as things just get worse and when it does get too much, the release is so emotional. Molly Gordon is great as someone who initially enjoys the chaos but begins to show a more caring side as it goes along.

Emma Seligman's direction really knows how to unnerve. Taking cues from horror movies with some jump scares and enough intense close ups to make the film feel claustrophobic. Ariel Marx's score pings and twangs throughout in a way that stops any sense of comfort from settling in.

Great movie, did not expect to like it that much. Don't be fooled by a comedy tag, it's definitely not a film for everyone. Dark, awkward and cringe it's made for you to feel claustrophobic and anxious (ergo the annoying crying baby). Excellent performance and well executed movie, maybe just don't smoke w while watching, it's pretty intense.