Film Review: Take Shelter

'Take Shelter', a haunting domestic drama with a supernatural undertone, follows a few turbulent weeks in the life of construction worker Curtis (Michael Shannon); a small town hardworking, family man.  Dogged by disturbing weather-related dreams and vivid day time visions, he is convinced that a dreadful storm is a-brewing.  The fear of impending doom causes this stable, loving husband and father to act more and more unhinged.  

He embarks on a Noah-style preparatory mission to renovate the abandoned storm shelter in his large garden at great financial risk.  His increasingly erratic behaviour isolates him from his supportive wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain), friends and work colleagues.  With a history of schizophrenia in his family Curtis starts to question his own sanity.  But is he really losing his mind or are these apocalyptic nightmares genuine premonitions?

‘Take Shelter’ is not your average disaster movie.  Under the aegis of writer and director Jeff Nicholls, it creeps along at a pace that is most suited for the sense of danger looming on the horizon.  The film is ripe with meaty themes; Judaeo-Christian references, the spiritual gatecrashing the mundane, subtle socio-political commentary about the harsh US healthcare system, the unsympathetic attitude of some private sector employers towards workers facing personal crises and the strain everyday pressures can place on an individual’s psychological well-being. And mental health is really the crux of the matter.  It’s never an easy subject to broach.  The audience is left guessing whether the Apocalypse foreseen by this reluctant prophet is of wider significance or is in fact of a more personal nature. ‘Take Shelter’ is not concerned with caricaturing the vast array of psychosis-related symptoms.  Rather it explores the shame and stigma that surround those who might be affected.  Cultural expectations of masculinity, the film seems to say, prevent men such as Curtis from sharing their concerns with those closest to him leading to feelings of loneliness and paranoia which can further entrench the problem. 

Nicholls’ characters are superbly complex, brought screaming to life thanks to laudably naturalistic performances from Shannon and Chastain as his strong, devoted and canny wife.  It’s refreshing to see a woman so loyal to her man without having to be a doormat.  Their depiction of a couple trying to struggle through a traumatic marital crisis is very moving. 

‘Take Shelter’s special effects are striking but not over the top, ably fleshing out the biblical imagery.  There is a constant undercurrent of the otherworldly but this extraordinary film remains grounded in terra firma.  To top it all, Nicholls trusts the intelligence of his audience enough to end the feature in a deliciously ambiguous way.