Shook

Shook is an intense and atmospheric horror thriller that emerged in 2021 under the directorship of Jennifer Harrington. Despite being a low-budget indie offering, the film cleverly harnesses a modern concept involving social media, deeply rooted psychological portraits, and heart-pounding suspense, cleverly blurring the lines between reality and nightmare. Starring fast-rising talents such as Daisye Tutor, Emily Goss, and Nicola Posener, the film takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride through the frightening territories of online fame and obsession.

The film centres on Mia (Daisye Tutor), a social media influencer with a significant following on various platforms. Fame has become a part of Mia’s life, and her youthful exuberance often comes through in her celebratory videos with her mega-famous sister Nicole portrayed by real-life sister to Daisye, Nicola Posener, a beauty and lifestyle guru idolized by millions. However, the glamour of their glossy online personas hides a grim tale of sibling rivalry and personal demons, which form the undercurrent of the storyline. From this modern context, Shook takes a leap into exploring the darker aspects of our online-dominated lives, shining a light on the addictive and soul-depleting elements of internet culture.

When Mia is asked to babysit her sister's dog, Chico, she agrees, thinking it’ll be an easy sideline to her digital career. Unbeknownst to her, this seemingly harmless task will soon trigger a night of terror she could never have envisioned. With her sister out at an A-lister party, Mia settles into her sister's luxurious home and continues her usual social media engagements. The horror begins when she receives an ominous phone call, and what follows is a nail-biting journey into a haunted digital realm of shadowy stalkers and unseen threat.

Emily Goss portrays the character of Lani, Mia's best friend in the film. Goss does an excellent job displaying the challenging balance of friendship forged in the competitive world of online fame, serving as a relatable reflection of the pressures and dreams inherent in their generation. She provides stability and grounding for Mia as the narrative's frightening elements continue to build, and her performance stands as a testament to her acting prowess.

A significant strength of Shook is its ability to use limited sets and relatively few characters to create a deeply engrossing narrative. The terror is finely-crafted to avoid clichéd jump scares, instead opting for a slow-burn psychological fright that unsettles the viewer on a much deeper level. The setting of the film, a stylish modern home filled with smart technology, is used to great effect to create an atmosphere of dread that thrives in the brightly lit and seemingly safe domain, making the horror all the more potent.

The film showcases the potential dangers of living such a visible life online, where every mundane action becomes content for the voracious demands of followers, and the erosion of privacy can have unexpected and horrifying consequences. It also explores themes of identity, manipulation, and the deep-seated anxieties that come with living life predominantly online.

Thrilling performances, compelling dialogue, and beautifully executed cinematography combine to develop a film that's not just about mindless terror, but a chilling commentary on our digital society's dangers. It compels the audience to think about the often-blurred boundaries between private life and public persona, the influence culture bred by social media, and its potential for misuse.

Shook represents a broader societal discourse going beyond just the film. It neatly embodies the anxieties, glamour, and terror of a lifestyle in the public eye. This might just be a horror movie, but it's also a mirror, reflecting the anxieties of a generation fuelled by likes, shares, and views. Shook is, without a doubt, a brief, terrifying brush with the volatile and unpredictable forces of the digital world.