Shelley

Name: Shelley
Genre: Drama, Horror
Released: July 29, 2016
Duration: 92 min
Rating: 62

2016

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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3.9

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3.9	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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Shelley

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: July 29, 2016 | Not Rated

Summary: Privileged, nouveau-eco-hippies Louise (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) and Kasper (Peter Christoffersen) live off the grid in a remote home in the woods. Unable to conceive, the couple arranges for their immigrant maid, Elena (Cosmina Stratan), to act as a surrogate mother in exchange for payment. But as Elena becomes mysteriously sicker with eachPrivileged, nouveau-eco-hippies Louise (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) and Kasper (Peter Christoffersen) live off the grid in a remote home in the woods. Unable to conceive, the couple arranges for their immigrant maid, Elena (Cosmina Stratan), to act as a surrogate mother in exchange for payment. But as Elena becomes mysteriously sicker with each passing day, fears mount about what may be growing inside her. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Ali Abbasi

Genre(s): Drama, Horror

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 92 min

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Critic Reviews

The Playlist Jessica Kiang

Jul 27, 2016

Containing not one single jump scare, but building a disquieting atmosphere of dread that leads us to make some brilliantly gruesome inferences, it’s a classy take on the often trashy pregnancy horror category, with a subtle social critique underlying its neo-gothic texture. Read full review

The Film Stage Jared Mobarak

Jul 28, 2016

Atmosphere and mood are the film’s strong suit, both growing thickly heavy as time elapses and strange occurrences commence. Read full review

Noel Murray

Jul 28, 2016

After a strong start, Shelley becomes frustratingly vague in the middle, before rebounding with a finale that makes the implicit menace more explicit. Read full review

Luke Y. Thompson

Jul 21, 2016

Director Ali Abbasi excels at atmosphere, understanding that any beautiful landscape can be made terrifying with the right sound design and that a cut to a silent interior can be as jarring as any jump scare. His script, unfortunately, is not as interesting. Read full review

Neil Genzlinger

Jul 28, 2016

Maybe expecting a horror film to have a point is expecting too much. In any case, the two actresses give committed performances on the way to a veiled ending. Read full review

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User Reviews

Persia

Jan 9, 2017

I trusted to the good reviews above, and it was a big mistake. This movie is not just slow-paced and boring - it just ends with no explanation of what was happening. The only thing you can guess - "probably there is some evil in this baby", but you guessed it from the very beginning andI trusted to the good reviews above, and it was a big mistake. This movie is not just slow-paced and boring - it just ends with no explanation of what was happening. The only thing you can guess - "probably there is some evil in this baby", but you guessed it from the very beginning and didn't need 1.5 hour for that. What kind of evil? Why? What's going to happen next? Did the husband die and appear in the house as a ghost, or did he just return home? No answers. The whole "plot" can be told in several phrases. A rather old woman never could carry a baby, so she and her husband ask their Rumanian worker Elena to be a surrogate mother. Elena agrees, but as her pregnancy progresses, she gets health problems and feels disgust to the baby, eventually trying to kill the girl in her womb. The doctors save the baby; Elena disappears from the plot. Then the husband begins to feel the similar disgust (for no reason) and tries to move the baby away from the house, but his wife prevents it (maybe killing him or maybe not) and returns home with the baby. Her husband is shown behind her. The end. There is NOTHING else in the whole movie, literally NOTHING.… Expand

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