Wizarding Worldz
Shut In the movie is, as I’m sure you’re cognizant, the new film from Ben Shapiro and his website The Daily Wire. I was at first impressed by the reviews it was getting.
If you’ve been wondering what a horror-thriller film from The Daily Wire could be like, then 2022’s Shut In is probably already on your list of things to watch when you have an hour and a half to kill. Shut In stars Rainey Qualley, Vincent Gallo, Jake Horowitz, and Luciana VanDette and was directed by DJ Caruso and written by Melanie Toast. But does it truly deliver, especially for dedicated horror genre aficionados who aren’t precisely The Daily Wire’s target audience?
The will to live is found within
Shut In is the new film from Ben Shapiro and his website The Daily Wire, as you’re probably aware. I was originally amazed by the positive feedback. Then I realized how many of them were from sites that, although not labeled as conservative, right-wing, or even political, had a clear point of view. There were several comments about “beta guys,” Hollywood’s “liberal agenda,” and concerns about “woke culture.” So, similar to their previous film, Run Hide Fight, I decided to see it to determine if it was a good thriller or propaganda.
Jessica (Rainey Qualley, Ultrasound, Ocean’s Eight) is a recovering meth addict who is trying to stay clean while raising her two young children.
She also wishes to sell the house her grandmother left her, relocate, and begin over. Unfortunately, she manages to lock herself in the pantry of the house.
Rob (Jake Horowitz, Castle Freak, Agnes), her violent and still addicted ex, unexpectedly visits there and lets her escape. Unfortunately, he also purchased Sammy (Vincent Gallo, The Brown Bunny, Buffalo 66), who has a fascination for young females. Jessica is back in the pantry in no time, this time with the door nailed shut.
Shut In is a home invasion thriller directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, xXx: Return of Xander Cage) and written by Melanie Toast, with the twist that Jessica is imprisoned in the pantry for the most of the film and must try to keep Lainey (Luciana VanDette) and her newborn brother safe from there. Much has been made of the fact that Toast’s script made Hollywood’s Black List, but it appears to have undergone rewrites on its route to the screen because it’s far from exceptional.
It’s not that Shut In is a poor picture; it’s simply that it’s pretty ordinary. When Jessica finds herself in circumstances with no clear way out, there is considerable suspense. However, I never felt that the children were in any actual danger. The producers never convinced me that they were willing to alienate their target demographic by inflicting significant injury on them as a membership incentive on the Daily Wire website.
It exacerbates any friction by bringing religion to the forefront. Shut In makes its faith-based basis extremely evident, from Rob hammering a nail through Jessica’s hand when shutting the pantry to shots of her sitting reading the bible. And if the objective of a film is to demonstrate God’s power and His capacity to save people who believe, there is only one way it can finish. If they don’t turn out okay, the entire aim of the picture is defeated, and the potential audience is alienated.
Rainey Qualley’s performance was a big part of what I liked about Shut In. She conveys her character’s terror and panic effectively without overacting or chewing the scenery. That might be genetic, given she is Andie MacDowell’s daughter (Groundhog Day, Sex, Lies, and Videotape). Vincent Gallo, on the other hand, looks like Charles Manson in his first picture since 2013’s The Human Trust while delivering an embarrassingly bad performance. I’m hoping it’ll be another nine years before I have to deal with him again.
Shut In the movie is a thriller that is well-made technically and with passable though uninspired directing by D.J. Caruso. However, it lacks true thrills. It’s similar to watching an episode of a TV show; you may get caught up in the action, but you never have any questions about how it will finish.
Is it worth watching Shut In the movie?
Overall, Shut In is unlikely to blow your hair back as far as being frightening or even groundbreaking. However, it is absolutely enjoyable, as well as a very good first attempt for completely new production business. It surely makes good use of a limited budget and resources.
Although the video will most likely be released on other streaming sites in the future, it is presently only available to users of The Daily Wire. Check it out if you’re looking for something modest, suspenseful, and tragic.