Shook is available to stream now on Shudder in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Synopsis
When Mia, a social media star, becomes the target of an online terror campaign, she has to solve a series of games to prevent people she cares about from getting murdered. But is it real? Or is it just a game at her expense?
Review
If you’re young enough to remember the 90’s you’ll remember how horror movies like Scream galvanised the landline phone as a weapon of pure terror. “What’s your favourite scary movie?” is a line which will forever haunt a generation of genre fans. Imagine looking at utilising technology to induce terror through the lens of 2021 and you’ve got Shook.
The film hinges on the incredibly 2021 notion of “the influencer.” That group of social media darlings whose influence is monetised by big business to help shift countless products through street-level marketing. But rather than pitch Shook at the purely Scream level of fan, it plants its tongue in its cheek and becomes something more self aware. The opening scene in which our lead (Daisye Tutor), alongside other influencers, walk a red carpet is perfect. Pulling back the curtain to show the truth behind the glamour which is rarely as picturesque. It’s a perfect analogy for the film itself.
The setup plays very much by the numbers. We see a little more of Mia and her life. It’s exactly how a caricature influencer would be: she’s vain; she’s self-absorbed, she’s all the narcissistic adjectives. But when she makes the choice to babysit her sister’s dog it’s her time to give back to the community. It’s also the moment when the film cleverly pivots and begins to reach for something more meaningful.
What plays out on screen is a perplexing mix of horror and mind game. One moment it seems that Mia is being hunted by creepy neighbour Kellan, could he be the mysterious dog killer? Next her friends are revealing it’s all an act for social media. At first glance it might seem like Shook is simply striking out in different directions, attempting to find meaning. But actually what writer/director Jennifer Harrington is doing is setting up a more complex play on the trappings of social media. On the surface these wannabe personalities are trying to one-up each other in the fight to gain followers. But underneath there’s a more haunting concept. Mia no longer understands what’s real and what’s a game. Sounds a little like using Instagram to me…
In its second half Shook really begins to capitalise on its twisty premise. There are multiple fake-outs, character deaths and reappearances. It all leads up to a baffling final twist which actually keeps on twisting until the credits roll. Whilst is borders on the absurd I have to admit that I was hanging on every moment just to find out what would happen next. It’s almost like soap opera meets horror.
Though not all of the story beats land, Shook still manages to provide a satisfying level of entertainment. It’s a true slasher in every sense of the word and I commend Harrington on her attempts to update the genre.
Verdict
After a slow start, Shook finds it feet to become a twisty, influencer-inspired slasher.
Written and directed by Jennifer Harrington, Shook stars Daisye Tutor, Nicola Posener, Grant Rosenmeyer and Emily Goss.
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