‘Shut In’ Review- Frightening

This movie streamed in 2022.

Shut In is a thriller directed by D.J. Caruso and written by Melanie Toast. It was produced by Amanda Presmyk and Dallas Sonnier with production done through Bonfire Legend, DW, and Voltage Pictures.

Jessica (Rainey Qualley) is a recovering drug addict trying to take care of her daughter Lainey (Luciana VanDette) and her little brother Mason. They are remodeling her grandmother’s house to sell it and move. Her husband, Rob (Jake Horowitz), arrives at the house high with a thug named Sammy (Vincent Gallo) demanding money. After a scuffle, Rob locks her in a pantry and leaves, forcing her to try and get out as she hears her children’s screams. Things turn desperate when Sammy returns and has sinister thoughts. Jessica has to use all of her wits to escape.

These claustrophobic thrillers always get me, and this one did to me. It provided a lot of thrills and tension to keep you enthralled in the plot. As the kids cried for their mom, you wondered where the story would go as Jessica fought for her life and theirs.

There were a few moments that did drag on a bit too long, that slowed down the plot instead of building anticipation, but not enough to take you out of the movie. Otherwise, it kept a solid pace.

All of the actors did a fine job, especially Qualley. I thought she portrayed the struggling mother very well and brought out all of the emotions you could expect. Likewise, Gallo was perfect as the villain. He even made the voice sound creepy, adding an extra edge to the movie.

The last thing to note is the music, done by the Mondo Boys. It hit the right tone at every moment. It was not intrusive and never faded from memory. It was mixed in well and sounded great. It definitely added to the movie.

Bottom line, Shut In is a solid film that brings all of the chills and thrills.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Frightening images, Foul language, Gruesome violence

FAVORITE QUOTE: You can take it. Just have all of it.

Check out the trailer below:

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, anime, or novel you would like me to review.