User reviews

This film is very notable to me for being the first – that I am aware of – horror film to come out of a Middle Eastern Islamic country. For this reason alone, Under the Shadow is an interesting movie. Horror films generally work best when there is a sense of mystery to proceedings, the unknown being one of the scariest things there is. This was the reason that the J-Horror films from Japan were so terrifying to western audiences, as the Japanese conception of the supernatural was so different to ours meaning that things happened in those films that were highly unpredictable and unsettling. It's this same reason that a horror film from an Iranian cultural perspective is always going to feel more original in approach. And so it proves, as while there are familiar elements in this ghost story, there are also aspects that are less predictable, resulting in a fascinating movie. A woman and her young child live alone in an apartment in Tehran during the latter years of the Iran-Iraq War when the Iraqi regime were systematically firing missiles into the middle of large populated urban areas. Before long the bombs come crashing around them and just as this starts happening a strange malevolent supernatural force enters their home and begins to terrorise them also.

One of the things that made this one really stand out for me was the historical setting and social context that came with that. While on the one hand this is a claustrophobic apartment-based horror film, there are also very real terrors outside the home too. In fact, the apartment is a haven for the mother in many ways, a place where she does not have to wear restrictive clothing and can work-out to her Jane Fonda video. Beyond this safe sanctuary she has to deal with a repressive regime who may violently punish her if her clothing is not correct or if they even hear she owns a VCR. The restrictive lives of women during the Cultural Revolution is the real life horror that the protagonist experiences out with the home, while the supernatural Djinn entity is the horror she and her daughter endure within the home. At the same time there are the horrors of war constantly occurring without warning and with potential deadly consequences. Even though this film is set in the late 80's, it's quite clear that this latter factor remains horribly pertinent today, given the horrendous bombings of civilians in the Syrian Civil War which continue unabated as I write this. So, this is a movie with quite a lot going on when you think about it. The supernatural horror material escalates as the story progresses and there are some genuine jump moments and some nicely sinister imagery. It never overplays its hand though and does not descend into over-the-top shenanigans, which ultimately is to the film's overall benefit.

Lastly, and certainly not least there are a couple of excellent performances in here underpinning everything. Narges Rashidi is extremely compelling as the mother, while Avin Manshadi puts in a very strong performance as her young daughter. We really do care about these two sympathetic and realistic characters. In the final analysis, I certainly hope that this film leads to a cycle of Iranian horror films, as the horror genre is often a very good one when it comes to examining tough social issues in an accessible way. This film may be the tip of the iceberg.

In western culture movies become iconic quickly. For example, entire generations who missed the original Star Wars film can nonetheless recite dialog from it. Horrow films fit the same mold. The tropes, tricks, plot arcs and even to a large degree the SFX become familiar over time because they are part of the overall experience you expect.

But what happens when a horror fan experiences a film from a different culture? Are the building blocks the same ... or different? One of the clearest exponents of this issue is this film, a modern "horror" film produced in an Islamic country that is known neither for its horror films nor really for its interest in films at all.

Which is what makes UNDER THE SHADOW SO REMARKABLE.

It is good enough to stand on its own as a horror piece. In fact, it's only possible failing -- that it builds so slowly and gradually -- can in fact be considered a major strength. It may well be that, in the west, film-makers who lack the skill to "layer" their suspense raise the temperature far too quickly? However when you consider the obvious incorporation of allegory and metaphor to overlay the plight of the heroine in her real life against her plight in the supernatural realm .. the film gets even more intriguing. Not preachy. Just interesting.

Recommended.

"Under the Shadow" was such a wonderful surprise for me. I had already read some reviews and everybody was speechless about it. I didn't really expect something THAT good when I started watching it.

The film takes place in Iran somewhere in the 80's when the Iran-Iraq war was on. Shideh and Dorsa, a mother and a daughter, find themselves "abandoned and unprotected" after the father has to leave in order to give his services as a doctor in the war zone. This is when they start realizing that something evil haunts them in their apartment, and there is not much they can do to escape since it's dangerous to leave their home.

Many compare it to 2014's "Babadook". I can see why but at the same time I don't see so many relations to each other. The only thing that I know is that there were moments that I seriously considered turning the lights on for a while... Sometimes the graphics were not that great, definitely not disappointing but seriously, I didn't mind at all. Narges Rashidi's acting is a huge plus for the movie as long as the direction.

Scary, touching, simple though powerful, "Under the Shadow" is a pleasant surprise not only for the horror genre but for cinema in general.

I had been following the recent festival news regarding "Under the Shadow", and shortly after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival it was promptly acquired by Netflix.

The fact that Netflix snagged it right away from other major distributors should be a real indicator of how much of a winner this movie really is.

Most people will dismiss "Under the Shadow" right away after seeing the PG-13 rating. Don't. Give it a chance, and you won't regret it. This movie doesn't rely on cheap jump scares. The way the movie is paced, it actually lets the tension and intensity accumulate, little by little, and the scares that it delivers, although few in number, are guaranteed to leave a mark.

In one particular instance, everyone in the room screamed and almost jumped out of their seats, and I do mean *everyone*, and that goes to show how well the movie does in pulling everyone in.

Even though the story is set in the 1980s, a lot of themes are, coincidentally, a big deal nowadays, such as the usage of the veil by women, and how they're actually perceived/treated as inferior to and by men, when in reality they happen to be extremely strong characters on their own, driven by what they want to do and what they want to be, and not by what others expect of them.

The Djinn, the so-called "monster" in this movie, is nothing short of amazing given the story and the context, and he's not something you're likely to forget any time soon. I will, however, do the same thing that other reviewers and critics have done before me, and I won't say anything further on this "entity", besides the fact that it's an extremely refreshing, new and interesting concept for the whole "monster movie". Go see the movie, and hopefully you'll not only be surprised and amazed, but also equally terrified.

Narges Rashidi, who plays the mother (Shideh), has a strong and gripping role, but in my humble opinion it was actually Avin Manshadi who plays her daughter, Dorsa, the one who stole the show.

In general, people think of kids (in horror movies) as annoying, and all-around bad actors who just don't have it in them to actually act the part in what's supposed to be a scary, horrifying film. In a nutshell, Avin Manshadi blew me away. The way she delivered her lines, how she acted, the very different ways she looked at her mother given the context, how she looked at her surroundings, and the fact that her gaze also never looked at the "camera" or anything of the sort, that certainly elevated the movie to something else entirely.

It made the whole thing *actually* believable, which isn't always the case when you have a kid as a main protagonist. For an underage kid, and for her first role in anything EVER (according to IMDb), I can't begin to tell you how extremely HUGE her performance actually is.

In short, this movie has very strong performances, a believable dilemma set in a very real period of our history, and a plot that doesn't leave you hanging with even more questions by the end or a twist-ending, like how many/most films usually do nowadays.

Babak Anvari (Director) is definitely on my list of people to keep an eye out for, especially when you consider that this was his first feature film. Extremely impressive, and there's no doubt in my mind that this young director has a lot to offer to the world of filmmaking in general, although I'd very much like to see him tackle some more horror projects.

If you want to see a horror movie riddled with cheap jump scares that provide easy chuckles and giggles, this movie is not for you.

If you want to see a horror movie with lots of deaths, blood and violence, this movie is definitely not for you.

If, however, you are a true fan of the genre and are looking for something new, if you can actually look past the language barrier and want to see an actual plot that gradually evolves in a slow-burn kind of way (as opposed to watching the kind of horror movies where you can just "turn your brain off" and enjoy the mindless fun without giving it a second thought), then you should give this movie a chance, by all means.

If possible, you should watch this in theaters to really get the "experience", otherwise watching it at home won't probably pack the same kind of punch, but I guess everyone is different in that aspect. Just be sure to actually invest all of your senses when watching it!

Like I said, don't go expecting a gore-filled horror fest. This is a movie that actually aims to do justice to the Horror genre and the scares it delivers... and boy, do they!

The first thing that stood out about this film was it's unique setting for a horror flick, it take's place in 1980's Iran during War Of The Cities. Our main character Shideh (Played by Narges Rashidi) has just learned that she won't be able to attend Medical school due to her background in activism. On top of all that her husband is being drafted to fight in the war leaving Shideh in a war torn country raising her daughter alone. The whole set up/first half was excellent, the acting is believable and director does a great job of establishing a tense tone. It definitely did not feel like the usual set up to a horror movie, in fact if I hadn't known before hand that this was a Horror flick I probably would have just assumed it was a Drama depicting live in Iran during a hard time.

So as the story progresses the horror elements are introduced, Shideh's daughter starts having trouble sleeping because she is afraid of Djinn (Demons). Some paranormal things start happening around the house and eventually things do get a little creepy. This part of the movie started to drag a bit a bit on the tension died down a bit for me. There are some scares that were well done and caught me off guard, however a few were too obvious and came off a bit too cheesy. Overall the second half is good but parts of it just felt like a run of the mill ghost movie. Plus the last fifteen minutes or so kind of fell flat on me, I felt like that was suppose to be a big tense scene but I just wasn't feeling it.

I enjoyed "Under The Shadow", it has it's flaws but it does enough right to make it a worthwhile experience. If you are interested in watching a decent ghost movie that has very interesting setting then this one if worth a watch, it doesn't do anything mind blowing but it does a good enough job at being an effective horror film.

This is a film about war and its atrocities. The primary goal of the film is obviously not to be a horror film.

During the Iran-Iraq war and especially after Saddam's missiles landed in many parts of Iran, many were affected psychologically. Children who started screaming, adults with PTSD, depression and many many more psychological problems. Imagine fearing any moment that a bomb or a missile could land in your home. It's a hundred times scarier than any supernatural phenomena.

The background of the film is Tehran, Iran in the 80s during the war. The supernatural elements (whether imagined by the main character or supposed to be real) beautifully symbolize the ugliness and squalor of war.

If you are looking to be entertained by a purely horror film, this may not be the best choice, as there is more to it. You may be disappointed as you may tune out of anything non-horror and the rest of the film will seem tedious to watch. However, if you do not expect to be scared the entire time, and just watch it as a film about a family during the war, I guarantee that you will smile, cry and be crept out of your wits a few times. Even though I was paying more attention to the story line rather than waiting to be scared, I had a hard time walking upstairs alone to my bedroom after watching this. I am a horror film fan and I am not easily scared anymore, but I had not been so terrified in years.

I give it a nine because the resolution at the end is not complete. I usually like closure at the end of the film, but again, that could mean that until the war is over, evil has not gone away.

In the 80's, during the war between the Islamic post-revolutionary Iran and Iraq, the former leftist medical student Shideh (Narges Rashidi) tries to return to the university but is barred by the dean. The upset Shideh returns home and when her husband Dr. Iraj (Bobby Naderi) is assigned to work in a war zone, she refuses to move to his parent's house with their daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi). Shideh prefers to stay in her apartment with Dorsa, who loves her doll Kimia and has constant fever. Dorsa is afraid of demoniac Djinns and when Shideh asks who told her about the legend, she tells that her friend that lives downstairs. Shideh visits her neighbor and asks his mother to tell her son to not tell horror stories to Dorsa and she learns that the boy is mute. Then Kimia and Shideh's Jane Fonda workout tape disappear. When a missile strikes their building, the neighbors decide to leave Tehran, but Shideh stays in the apartment with Dorsa, who is increasingly disturbed. Soon Shideh reads about Djinns and finds that there is an evil entity in the apartment. Further she must find Kimia; otherwise Dorsa will be in danger since the Djinn will be attached to her.

"Under the Shadow" is an atmospheric and spooky ghost story in an unusual environment – Tehran in the 80's. The difference to the Western cultures is another attraction of this film, such as punishment of the woman for not wearing headscarf or for having a videocassette at home. The story has elements from "The Babadook" but is better than the 2014 film. The conclusion is open for a sequel, like most of the films of this genre. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available.

I saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival. I'd say this is tied for my favourite horror movie from that festival (with Eyes of my Mother...also amazing).

Ghost movies are really the only horror films that stand of chance of scaring me these days. There were a few times during this film that I was completely tense, and a few times, absolutely on the verge of terror as to what was going to happen next. The film was just so well done in terms of pacing.

Unfortunately, ghost movies also suffer from poor endings, quite frequently. This ending was better than most, but something about it didn't sit right with me, and that's all I'll say to prevent spoilers. You may disagree entirely. I'm a tough one on endings.

I really hope this gets a wide distribution, because if you're at all a fan of ghost movies, this movie is just fantastic. A definite must see!

If there is one thing horror movies do best, it's taking real life, psychological fears and making them as tangible as possible, forcing us to experience the dread that we prefer to push into the back of our minds, yet this is something often traded out for cheap shock in horror movies today. While "Under the Shadow" may miss a few beats in terms of its actual scares, it is an atmospheric and smart film that is about the real oppression that many people had to deal with and how it affects its main character.

It takes place in Iran during the 80s, a very divisive time in the country's history, when Iranians could be bombed by Iraq at any moment. Anyone who didn't follow their strict rules was horribly punished, and one could be discriminated against for their past political views, and the end of the war was nowhere in sight.

The film begins with Shideh attempting to finish her medical studies, but being turned down for her past political views. Her mother has just died, and she always dreamed that Shideh would be a doctor. Her husband, while loving, doesn't seem very supportive, and they get in an argument which details her past, showing that her husband has subtly oppressed her in the past. He leaves for work around a time that rumors begin to surface about Iraq bombings. He insists she take her daughter to his parents' house, and she denies, mostly as a way to prove that she can take care of her daughter.

However, after the first bombing, Shideh begins to lose control of her daughter, who starts to talk to supernatural beings brought on by the anxiety and fear caused by the attacks. Most people begin leaving, and soon she is left alone, desperately clinging to her daughter, but often failing.

The horror is said to be supernatural, but it is mostly brought upon by her fear that she is useless. She fears that since she can't be a doctor, she must be a good mother, but everything around her is telling her she is failing.

As far as the actual scares go, they are executed impressively for the most part. The shots are held just as long as they need to be held in order to build tension, and cuts are made at the right moments. There are a few jump scares that felt predictable (such as the first dream sequence, and moments towards the end), but most are built up perfectly and used just sparingly enough to truly be unaware of what would happen next. A few moments during the climax felt dragged out, as tends to happen with many horror films, good and bad. But what is most striking about this film is its atmosphere. It has a very dream-like atmosphere and some of the imagery is pretty hard to forget.

This is a generally well-made movie. i was into it for a while, but i was so unsatisfied when it finished. pretty creepy with a few scary moments. fairly low entertainment factor (1 viewing, 1/4/2021)

It's a good film. A touching drama about a war torn family and people living in fear in a period of war. Good production value and good acting, too.

So, why the three stars? Because it claims to be a horror film.

The horror part of the film, which consists of standard jump scare mostly, comes after a very long while, few and far in between, and not scary at all. The potential is there, considering the culture (which is religion-heavy) behind the story, but it's not explored enough.

If you're looking for a horror film, and you're thinking, "Ooh, this must be unique because it's a foreign film," this is not the one.

Ingeniously carving a ghost story on top of its grim setting, Under the Shadow is a smartly crafted, patiently narrated & brilliantly performed Persian horror that makes excellent use of its foreboding atmosphere to deliver the chills, and remains a highly gripping & deeply uncomfortable experience from start to finish.

Set in 1980s Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, the story of Under the Shadow follows a mother & her daughter who find themselves being haunted by a mysterious entity in their house after refusing to leave the war-torn city. As more residents leave the building, the paranormal incidents only intensifies inside their apartment.

Written & directed by Babak Anvari in what's his directional debut, Under the Shadow is a fusion of family drama & haunted house horror, with former focusing on its character's struggle to cope with the aftereffects of Iranian revolution while the latter coming to life on its own amidst the disturbing & troubled era of Iran.

Its timeline & setting play a vital role in establishing a sinister environment where evil can flourish, and Anvari takes ample time to familiarise the audience with the protagonist's predicament before letting the supernatural entity make its presence felt. And further amplifying its eerie vibe n tone is its fluid camera-work, tight editing & stellar use of sound.

Spearheading the acting department is Narges Rashidi in the role of the mother who's still reeling from the revolution's impact on her life, which only worsens when a series of inexplicable activities begin unfolding in her apartment. And supporting her all the way through is Avin Manshadi who is in as her daughter and both of them play their part convincingly.

On an overall scale, Under the Shadow is a confidently directed, deftly written & exquisitely paced chiller that's encapsulated with an ominous atmosphere and packs genuinely effective moments of suspense over the course of its 84 minutes runtime. Haunting, thought-provoking & brimming with the undercurrent of post-revolution effect on everyday life, this Persian horror is definitely worth your time & money.

Under the Shadow is a captivating blend of horror and social commentary, skillfully portraying the struggles faced by women in patriarchal Iran, set against the tense backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War. The film centers on Shideh, a mother who is left to care for her young daughter, Dorsa, while her husband is away. The oppressive environment restricts her in nearly every facet of life-whether it's her inability to study or the requirement to wear a hijab in public. Even her small acts of rebellion, like practicing aerobics at home, are shadowed by the constant fear of being reprimanded. These elements paint a realistic and disturbing picture of the difficulties faced by women in conservative Iran, adding layers of realism to the horror that eventually unfolds.

The supernatural element enters subtly and intensifies as the movie progresses, with the appearance of a Djinn that seems to be a manifestation of Shideh's fears and repressed anxieties. The Djinn's attempts to take her daughter symbolize the many forces in her society that seek to control and restrict her freedom. Her fight against this supernatural force becomes a reflection of her fight against societal expectations, ultimately symbolizing her desire to break free from these oppressive norms. The ending, where she musters the courage to confront the Djinn and save her daughter, suggests the power of a mother's love and the strength needed to break free from societal shackles.

This film is a one-of-a-kind take on the horror genre, as it weaves supernatural elements with social issues, making it more than just a ghost story. It's a smartly crafted narrative that uses horror to highlight real-world struggles, giving a voice to women's issues in a highly restrictive environment. Under the Shadow is a thought-provoking one-time watch, with solid storytelling that makes it a standout in the horror genre.

There is more than meets the eye going' on in the unconventional Iranian horror/thriller "Under the Shadow". One whole HELLUVA lot more.

The setting is a Tehran apartment house during the late stages of the nearly decade-long Iran-Iraq War of the 1980's. A woman and her eight-year-old daughter are all alone in the building, and are under the constant threat of bombing from Iraqi soldiers under the maniacal regime of Saddam Hussein. However, another threat looms within these walls which they are forced to contend with. One not as menacingly manifest as ballistic missile assaults, yet every bit as terrorizing.

What is this malevolent yet largely unseen entity that is making the girl mysteriously sick and is driving her mom to the brink of insanity? I came up with a host of theories based upon what we know of this era and these characters, and they were continuously materializing and morphing as this ominous story progressed. I won't share them here out of respect for "non-spoiling" it for anyone. I'm sure you will come up with your own conjecturing should you choose to go "Under the Shadow".

But be forewarned...it is NOT a comfy place to be.

I connected with the main character so well this became an intense experience for me. It is good to see a paranormal thriller set amongst the environs of a country at war, and in a place where lashes can be dished out for not wearing hijab's.

In the first part of the film it delivers a slice of life feel for the residents of another country with that documentary vibe, a real foreign film aspect (I'm in a western country) with regards to shot composition and editing.

On here some 'horror movie' lovers are crying and frothing at the bit because this movie does not contain bucket loads of violence and gore. What these pillocks don't appreciate is that film making need not slot into histories neat and concise film categories and thus we can mix elements of any known genres to result in many shades of grey. A bit of an open mind might assist you pallbearers of the strict genre to rise above your misery.

Now my objections are over, let me recommend this paranormal movie. It's well worth the ride :)

I fancy myself a devout Horror enthusiast, so I was very happy to expand my horizons by trying a Persian one. That, and the trailer and available description on Netflix intrigued me. While the scenario of "single parents attempting to protect child/children from malevolent supernatural entity" has been done often enough to become a cliché of sorts - it rarely gets boring (when executed right).

Unfortunately for me, Under The Shadow if far from meeting my personal standards of a Horror film, set by years of Hollywood conditioning as they may be. Aside from a few well-placed and finely utilized jump scares (which are still and forever will be a cheap trick and nothing more) and the presence of said malevolent supernatural entity - there is nothing scary about the film and hardly anything to justify its Horror tag. Now, keep in mind that besides jump scares I'm also not a fan of excessive blood, pointless gore of torture porn. I have quite typical demands from Horror films, mainly that they should invoke certain sensations of fear and discomfort. Under The Shadow does do that, but at the bare minimum level. Having a supernatural spirit as an ambiguous antagonist doesn't qualify as Horror more than "Casper the Friendly Ghost" does (a deliberate exaggeration of course).

Having said all that - Under the Shadow is an excellent film as a profound anthropological documentation of Persian culture and social patterns following the religious revolution and during the Iran-Iraq war. The presentation of the Djins, the conflicted woman of science and medicine forced to comply with primitive religious laws of female degradation and the neighborly cooperative coping with living under missile fire are all described and presented beautifully. The acting is superb by all characters, especially young Avin Manshadi (Dorsa) showing very impressive talent. As a cultural piece, Under The Shadow is a rare and remarkable gem.

All in all, I personally believe anyone watching this film in expectations or hopes of Horror would be quite disappointed. It would take active effort to feel any form of fear while watching, aside from the physiological forced reactions to startling jump scares. However, anyone looking for a compelling story of family, cultural society and life during war in the context of Iranian life would be greatly entertained. 9 for film, 3 for Horror, an overall average of 6 and an honest recommendation to forget about scares and simply have fun watching.

Set in the '80s during the Iran-Iraq War a mother and daughter struggle to come to terms with an unseen force that is preying on them.

I have to say I really enjoyed this film. It's genuinely creepy and made me jump a couple of times, which isn't something that often happens to me as I've watched horror movies nearly all my life and have become desensitized by them. The external threat of the war where a bomb might literally drop on them at any second and the internal threat that some unseen force has targeted this mother and daughter for whatever insidious purpose the Djinn might have really struck a cord with me. It made me feel uneasy for the mother and daughter; the performances from Narges Rashidi and Avin Manshadi respectively are brilliant. You really believe they could be mother and daughter. The director slowly builds the tension as the movie progresses and overall this horror movie is just well executed. Which comes together to make for a powerful experience for the viewer.

Maybe if this was just another run of the mill Hollywood horror film, then maybe it wouldn't be as good? I can't answer that. But I can't help feeling the setting, the social and historical commentary that plays a part in this film's narrative really elevated this film to another level and I would highly recommend you watch this film for all horror fans out there who like a good ghost story.

Made in a language I didn't understand I did give it a try and after seeing it it reminded me somehow to another flick with mother and child being possessed in some way, The Babadook (2014). Being honest, this flick here wasn't really my thing but it never bored me.

It gave me a vision into the daily live in occupied territory. And the way women were treated back then in Iran with "Ayatollah" Ruhollah Khomeini under an extreme and religious way. Just see what almost happened when she didn't cover her hair and was seen on street.

But this is all about some Djinn terrorizing mother and child. What we have is a lot of blah blah going on in the beginning and slowly it moves over in a creepy atmosphere. It even made me jump once. But being low on the possession and having no blood in it or in fact real horror makes it a flick not for every geek walking this earth. But it do shows that countries with Islam as their religion can make horror watchable for everyone.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 0/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5