Trailer courtesy of Curzion Cinemas
★★★★
“A thrilling and unpredictable journey”
“The film is very open to interpretation, and I hope it strikes up conversations when people see it, and then I hope that those conversations lead people to be interested in how Shirley wrote and what she wrote.”
Director, Josephine Decker quoted in The Guardian
“The film is very open to interpretation, and I hope it strikes up conversations when people see it, and then I hope that those conversations lead people to be interested in how Shirley wrote and what she wrote.”
Director, Josephine Decker quoted in The Guardian
A big thank you to Curzon Cinemas and The Tandem Collective for providing me with a box of Shirley-related treats and access to watch the film from home upon its Halloween release in 2020!
My Thoughts:
The film tells the story of the famous horror writer, Shirley Jackson, as she finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.
We are introduced to Shirley as she is struggling to write her latest book. She is hampered by her own anxiety and agoraphobia. In an effort to help her, her husband Stanley (Michael Stuhlbarg) invites his academic assistant Fred (Logan Lerman) and wife Rose (Odessa Young) to stay with them. As time passes, the two women form an unusual and unexpected bond.
It is a very unconventional literary biopic, and Josephine Decker’s take on things is presented in a way that mimics the famed fiction author's horror writing. There is a distorted dream-like visual approach to the cinematography, which is often beautiful and feels as though we're looking through a psychological prism. It creates atmosphere but doesn't quite provide the thrills that Jackson herself might have built into the telling of this tale.
Jackson herself was a prolific writer, writing over 200 short stories, two memoirs and six novels including, most famously, The Haunting Of Hill House, and the novel that’s at the centre of this film, Hangsaman.
I loved Elizabeth Moss for the role of Shirley. She is an actress who can seemingly do anything at this stage of her career and she really brought the character to life. This film presents an exaggerated version of Shirley Jackson for the screen. Shirley is opinionated. She is fragile in many ways, but also strongly opinionated and defiant. Despite her troubles, I would describe her as a strong, creative, brave and talented writer who is often misunderstood by those around her. Shirley seems very suspicious of others and particularly distrusting of men. There are many reasons for this, and we find out why as the film progresses.
It is clear that the filmmakers have focused on trying to emulate Jackson's writing style in this portrayal, which is perhaps what makes it such an intriguing watch. You never know what’s around the corner. As the film gathers pace, realism blends with fantasy; with horror, fact and fiction until you’re not sure where one ends and the other begins. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last second.
Overall Reaction
My Thoughts:
The film tells the story of the famous horror writer, Shirley Jackson, as she finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.
We are introduced to Shirley as she is struggling to write her latest book. She is hampered by her own anxiety and agoraphobia. In an effort to help her, her husband Stanley (Michael Stuhlbarg) invites his academic assistant Fred (Logan Lerman) and wife Rose (Odessa Young) to stay with them. As time passes, the two women form an unusual and unexpected bond.
It is a very unconventional literary biopic, and Josephine Decker’s take on things is presented in a way that mimics the famed fiction author's horror writing. There is a distorted dream-like visual approach to the cinematography, which is often beautiful and feels as though we're looking through a psychological prism. It creates atmosphere but doesn't quite provide the thrills that Jackson herself might have built into the telling of this tale.
Jackson herself was a prolific writer, writing over 200 short stories, two memoirs and six novels including, most famously, The Haunting Of Hill House, and the novel that’s at the centre of this film, Hangsaman.
I loved Elizabeth Moss for the role of Shirley. She is an actress who can seemingly do anything at this stage of her career and she really brought the character to life. This film presents an exaggerated version of Shirley Jackson for the screen. Shirley is opinionated. She is fragile in many ways, but also strongly opinionated and defiant. Despite her troubles, I would describe her as a strong, creative, brave and talented writer who is often misunderstood by those around her. Shirley seems very suspicious of others and particularly distrusting of men. There are many reasons for this, and we find out why as the film progresses.
It is clear that the filmmakers have focused on trying to emulate Jackson's writing style in this portrayal, which is perhaps what makes it such an intriguing watch. You never know what’s around the corner. As the film gathers pace, realism blends with fantasy; with horror, fact and fiction until you’re not sure where one ends and the other begins. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last second.
Overall Reaction
