Take Shelter (2011)

The best thing about Take Shelter, for me, is that nobody knows about it. Very few people heard about the Michael Shannon thriller when its release date was upcoming, and as soon as it was released, the few critics that saw it loved it, but still, nobody knew this little thriller/drama existed. And now, with the release of almost every critic’s ‘Best of 2011’ list, Take Shelter is dominating. And now, with the Oscar snubs being sent out, Drive and Take Shelter are becoming the most popular of those snubbed films. The sophomore film of director Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter stars the absolutely wonderful Michael Shannon as Curtis LaForche, a blue-collar worker who, while struggling to keep his family afloat financially, begins to have haunting dreams and visions of terrible things happening, all relating to a storm with motor oil rain and terrible lightning and thunder. These dreams begin to force him to make extremely irrational decisions, which begin to put a strain on his marriage with his wife Samantha (the wonderful and constantly-appearing Jessica Chastain), his case for his daughter, the deaf Hannah (the actually deaf and wonderfully small Tova Stewart), his job, and his relationship with the community, which, with his family and Curtis himself, begin to suspect his insanity, due to his family’s previous relationship with schizophrenia, and the nature of the dreams. For the most part of this slow, taught, and dreary thriller, the question is whether this is schizophrenia or prophecy. As soon as the answer becomes clear, the movie doesn’t turn into a fast-paced monster, it doesn’t gain speed. It stays as calm, as quiet, as demonic. But-if you watch this movie, you have to watch it to the last thirty or so seconds. Because when you see a single shot in this film, your blood will run cold. Because this isn’t an Insidious-level horror film meant to make your girlfriends fall into your lap, this is a quiet, brilliant, and haunting drama/thriller, with an absolutely perfect performance by Michael Shannon, who, in a just world, would be at least nominated for, if not winning, the Oscar for Best Actor.
9.5/10