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Shelter
Regent Releasing

Shelter reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 66 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.0 out of 10
based on 11 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 11 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: R for language, some sexual content and brief drug use

Starring Trevor Wright, Brad Rowe, and Tina Holmes

Forced to give up his dreams of art school, Zach spends his days working a dead-end job and helping his needy sister care for her son. In his free time he surfs, draws, and hangs out with his best friend, Gabe, who lives on the wealthy side of town. When Gabe's older brother Shaun returns home, he is drawn to Zach's selflessness and talent. Zach falls in love with Shaun while struggling to reconcile his own desires with the needs of his family. (Regent Releasing)


GENRE(S): Drama  |  Romance  
WRITTEN BY: Jonah Markowitz  
DIRECTED BY: Jonah Markowitz  
RELEASE DATE: Theatrical: March 21, 2008 
RUNNING TIME: 97 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

83
Portland Oregonian Grant Butler
There's real chemistry between the two actors.
Read Full Review
75
San Francisco Chronicle David Wiegand
Features a superb performance in the lead role, a strong supporting cast, very good cinematography and, most of all, emotional authenticity.
Read Full Review
75
TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
Markowitz 's low key coming of age/coming out story isn't particularly original, but features subtle performances and a vivid sense of place.
Read Full Review
70
The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis
Coming out has rarely looked so pretty.
Read Full Review
70
Chicago Reader Albert Williams
What might have been a routine coming-out story is enriched by Wright's accomplished and honest performance, Markowitz's straightforward dialogue, and Joseph White's cinematography of the majestic surf and melancholy sunsets off Malibu.
Read Full Review
70
Variety Dennis Harvey
A pleasant romantic drama that works best when focused on the romance -- or on the waves, since the principal characters spend a lot of time surfing.
Read Full Review
70
LA Weekly Chuck Wilson
Wright is a find, while Rowe may surprise those who dismissed him as a Brad Pitt look-alike when he first came to attention in "Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss." Here, Rowe displays new authority and confidence, as if lately he’s been looking in the mirror and seeing himself, rather than that other, more famous blond.
Read Full Review
63
New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Actors Trevor Wright and Brad Rowe are good enough to turn a formulaic coming-out tale into a sweet romance.
Read Full Review
63
Boston Globe Wesley Morris
Shelter is a gay movie like other American gay movies. Boy meets boy. Boy comes out. Boys fight opposition. Opposition caves. If there's life beyond the closet, too few movies know it exists.
Read Full Review
60
Village Voice Ed Gonzalez
As far as coming-out dramas go, Shelter is a puppy dog, well-acted but rife with cliché received wisdom and at least one ingeniously arbitrary bit of mid-scene dialogue: "That's why you never tell a woman how to cook a chicken."
Read Full Review
42
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White
The script sounds like literal diary transcripts, the camerawork tests the limits of eyestrain, and the soundtrack bleats with mediocre pop songs by unknowns.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Rhett L. gave it a9:
A real movie that portrays the life of many gay men and their family situations. Emotional. Altruistic. Real.

Matt L. gave it an8:
I liked this movie quite a bit. The setup in the beginning dragged on a bit, and the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly, but on the whole the movie was well done. The acting was very good, and the overall quality of the film was quite high, especially in a genre that has plenty of poorly acted and filmed movies. The characters felt real, as did their situations, which helped make this at least a notch or two above the typical coming-out flick.

David S. gave it an8:
A realistic and moving portrayal of coming out for today's teens.

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