Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Shade of Grey

  • 2009
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
68
YOUR RATING
Scott Ganyo and Jakob Bilinski in Shade of Grey (2009)
A dramatic character piece about several individuals who share a connection due to their repeated presence in an anonymous motel room across several years.
Play trailer2:24
2 Videos
2 Photos
Drama

Follows the intertwining tales of several people who share a connection due to their repeated presence in an anonymous motel room over several years.Follows the intertwining tales of several people who share a connection due to their repeated presence in an anonymous motel room over several years.Follows the intertwining tales of several people who share a connection due to their repeated presence in an anonymous motel room over several years.

  • Director
    • Jakob Bilinski
  • Writer
    • Jakob Bilinski
  • Stars
    • Scott Ganyo
    • Benjamin Riley
    • Katelyn Coyne
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    68
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jakob Bilinski
    • Writer
      • Jakob Bilinski
    • Stars
      • Scott Ganyo
      • Benjamin Riley
      • Katelyn Coyne
    • 1User review
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Videos2

    Shade of Grey Trailer
    Trailer 2:24
    Shade of Grey Trailer
    Shade of Grey Teaser
    Trailer 2:15
    Shade of Grey Teaser
    Shade of Grey Teaser
    Trailer 2:15
    Shade of Grey Teaser

    Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast19

    Edit
    Scott Ganyo
    • Evan
    Benjamin Riley
    Benjamin Riley
    • Bryan
    • (as Ben Schmitt)
    Katelyn Coyne
    • Samantha
    Monica Barajas
    • Sarah
    Jennifer Berkemeier
    • Nicole
    Leah Winkler
    • Ashley
    Jomar 'Dez' Banks
    • Dacx
    Carl Barry
    • Desk Clerk
    Mackenzie Bilinski
    • Party Girl…
    Nick Brunner
    • Morgan
    Susan Hoehn
    • Drunk Party Girl
    Delenn Jadzia
    • Julie
    Jaclyn R. Jones
    • Samantha
    • (voice)
    Kathy Lechuga
    • Girl Who Needs To Get Home
    Phil Lechuga
    • Henchman
    E.W. Scott
    • Fred
    Michael Sheffield
    • Mike The Bike
    Dale Toney
    • Pedro
    • Director
      • Jakob Bilinski
    • Writer
      • Jakob Bilinski
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1

    7.568
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    jtrinc

    A Lesson on Independent Film-making

    So what is Shade of Grey? Beyond the obvious, Shade of Grey is a rare and successful combination of experimental storytelling, high technical skills, passion and true dedication. To be honest, it is hard for me to write about Shade of Grey. It is a movie that must be experienced in order to be fully understood. I'll start saying that it can be a dream, or a nightmare, or maybe both, depending on who you are, your life experience and your own interpretation of the characters' lives.

    In order to strengthen this "dreamlike effect", Bilinski breaks the storyline into different scenes that are, only in appearance, disconnected from each other. This is just a very clever and very risky technique. I have only seen it succeed in rare cases like 21 Grams, Shorts Cuts, Magnolia and very few others. Like these films, Bilinski's is also a dark and sometimes twisted drama. I would even dare to say that it is even more emotionally exhausting than Iñarritu's 21 Grams. Why? Most of Shade of Grey takes places in just one hotel room, which towards the end of the film becomes, in my opinion, one of the most menacing and claustrophobic locations ever put on film. Because of this and the intensity imposed upon the viewer, I can only describe Shade of Grey as a combination of the aforementioned films and Polanski's Death and The Maiden. Hopefully those who have seen them will agree.

    Telling a story using a fragmented storyline in such reduced and plain space can be extremely complicated. But Bilinski does it very cleverly by expanding the action not physically but chronologically, which is an aspect not truly explored in any of the aforementioned titles. To make the long story short, let's just say that Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" could also be one of Bilinski's influences…

    But the most interesting thing about Shade of Grey is that, while watching it, I could not help to think that we, the viewers, had also become one of the characters during the viewing process. We were, in fact, THE MAIN CHARACTER because just like the room where the action takes place, we are always there too, watching, listening, witnessing quietly and attentively, like the walls, the ceiling, the old furniture and the window. Watching Shade of Grey is being inside the movie, sharing the joy, sadness, doubt, life and death of the characters.

    Congratulations, Jake! You have created quite an unusual and truly intense journey into the strange world and the bizarre experience of being human.

    I can't wait for the next one!

    Jorge

    More like this

    The Key
    5.1
    The Key
    Spirit's Revenge
    3.7
    Spirit's Revenge
    Plan sexenal
    5.3
    Plan sexenal
    Cora
    6.4
    Cora
    Pretty Bad Girls
    7.0
    Pretty Bad Girls
    A Flowerbox for Rosie
    4.1
    A Flowerbox for Rosie
    2.8
    How to Make Love
    Original Sin
    5.3
    Original Sin
    Girl Play
    4.5
    Girl Play
    Passions
    5.3
    Passions
    Love Kills
    5.0
    Love Kills
    Jackie Boy
    5.9
    Jackie Boy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Soundtracks
      The Room
      Written and Performed by For The Dire, Canis Major

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 5, 2009 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Cinephreak Pictures
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
    • Production company
      • Cinephreak Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $50,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Scott Ganyo and Jakob Bilinski in Shade of Grey (2009)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Shade of Grey (2009) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.