Shook (2021) review – A Messy and Derivative Influencer Slasher
Shook: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A structurally disjointed and derivative slasher that fails to find its footing despite a few creative flourishes. Shook attempts to modernise the “killer on the phone” formula for the influencer era, but it ultimately feels as superficial as the culture it attempts to critique. While director Jennifer Harrington shows promise with some inventive camera work and a unique way of visualising social media interactions, these elements are overshadowed by a messy plot and a series of “twists for the sake of twists” that lead to an unsatisfying conclusion. The protagonist is difficult to root for, and her supporting cast of vapid stereotypes provides little reason for the audience to invest in their survival. This 2 star effort suffers from a lack of genuine tension and a predictable narrative that borrows too heavily from genre classics without adding anything of substance. Unless you have a specific craving for mediocre slasher cinema, this is one social media event you are better off ignoring.
Details: Director: Jennifer Harrington | Cast: Daisye Tutor, Emily Goss, Nicola Posener, Octavius J. Johnson | Runtime: 1h 29m | Release Date: 2021
Best for: Die-hard slasher fans who don’t mind a “low-rent” aesthetic and viewers interested in the visual representation of social media in horror.
Worth noting: The film uses a unique projection technique to display social media comments and texts directly onto the environment around the characters, rather than using traditional on-screen overlays.
Where to Watch: Shudder, Amazon🛒
Rating: 2/5 Stars
(A convoluted and messy slasher that fails to overcome its derivative plot and unlikable characters despite some interesting visual choices.)
Welcome to Knockout Horror and to another horror movie review. Today we are taking a look at another social media influencer horror – Shudder original Shook.
Highlights
Social media influencer slasher
Shook follows the story of social media make-up influencer Mia. A dog murderer is on the loose and has now turned their attention to humans. Worrying about the safety of her pet dog while she is out of town, Nicole employs the help of her sister Mia to look after the little pooch. Mia, who is typically self-absorbed and rather shallow, surprisingly agrees. Mia, evidently, sees this as an opportunity to score some extra cred online. It’s only when Mia starts receiving bizarre phone calls threatening her that she begins to regret agreeing to dog sit.
“Shook tries to do too much with too little. The result is a movie that feels confused and extremely messy. As the movie goes on and the plot expands, the feeling of messiness grows.”
So this movie is fairly standard stuff. A woman walks around a dark house. A creepy person phones her up and tells her to answer questions. If she gets the questions wrong, the creepy person will kill her friends. Shook plays out like this for a little while before somewhat flipping the script. The result is, basically, more of the same. A twist for the sake of a twist if you will. It’s extremely cookie-cutter stuff, predictable in its need to play to type.
If you have watched slasher movies before, you know what to expect with Shook. The environment is overly dark and the lights are either defective or a bit shit. An initially confident protagonist soon gives in to fear, only to find her strength again. Repeat ad nauseam. Slashers are tons of fun, the problem here is with the execution. Shook tries to do too much with too little. The result is a movie that feels confused and extremely messy. As the movie goes on and the plot expands, the feeling of messiness grows.
Very familiar yet slightly quirky
The first 20 minutes, or so, of the movie feel very familiar. Clearly influenced by the opening scenes of modern classic horror Scream, Mia ambles about the house trying to scope out the location of the caller. Looking onto her back porch before checking out the front.
An overwhelming sense of déjà vu is likely to wash over you. So many horror movies have played out like this. Where Shook attempts to differentiate itself is in its commitment to portraying the social media obsession of its protagonist.
Mia is constantly glued to her phone and to IM services. She visits people’s social media pages, texts back and forth with her friends and watches videos. Many of these events take place on her various devices. Others are projected awkwardly onto walls for the viewer to see.
This is a strange technique that never felt very comfortable in my opinion. The light from the projector illuminated Mia’s hair and reflects off of surfaces. It all looks a bit low effort but at least it is different, I suppose. It is only one of a few of Shook‘s strange little quirks. What a shame that none of them really work all that well.
Unlikable characters and predictable
Our main character here is not particularly nice. Whether her story in Shook is supposed to be one of redemption or not, I am not sure. Regardless, she is difficult to relate to. I would go as far as to say she is someone many would distance themselves from in real life. Her friends are vapid stereotypes designed to reflect personalities you see online, each of them obsessed with one superficial thing or another.
“Mia’s friends are vapid stereotypes designed to reflect personalities you see online. If these characters are difficult to care about, why would I be scared for them?”
This isn’t really a cast to root for. Most people will, likely, find themselves more invested in the villain. This, obviously, has a big impact on the horror element of Shook. If these characters are difficult to care about, why would I be scared for them?
As mentioned above, this is a movie that has been done to death. Taking a well worn “killer on the phone” formula, Shook doesn’t really manage to do anything new with the formula. It also struggles to conjure up much in the way of suspense. A few twists here and there send the story into something of a chaotic spin. Despite the consistent pulling of the rug from under your feet, the movie retains its overwhelming level of predictability, even right up until the end.
Acting is a complete mixed bag. Daisye Tutor, as Mia, does a nice job of crying on command. I applaud her efforts, her voice was hoarse by the mid point of the movie. She’s going to need some Vaseline under her nose as well as it was running for the entire film. The poor scripting here doesn’t do her any favours, though. By the final few scenes, Tutor seems to have lost all motivation. Everyone else is a mix of “meh” and “who cares”.
Too many issues to overcome
When you take all of the issues and throw in a few more, it’s all too much to make Shook a movie worth recommending. Plot holes abound throughout. Continuity issues stand out. The plot feels incredibly illogical and silly. The ending is, somehow, both farcical and unlikely while being terribly predictable. It’s all a bit frustrating as this movie did have potential. While doing nothing new, movies like this are always worth a watch. Everyone enjoys slasher flicks. They are easy to watch. Just don’t try to do too much with the formula and strike out.
This is exactly what Shook does. It tries to do too much and the result is a bit of a convoluted mess. I give credit for the interesting style choices. Unfortunately, I disliked most of them but innovation is important. I enjoyed some of the camera work. Some of it was very creative.
“Interesting style choices lend the picture a somewhat unique feeling but it also feels pretty cheap. The movie is entirely predictable and the twists are convoluted.”
Harrington’s direction is genuinely decent. Outside of early movie pacing issues, she does a good job. The derivative plot, lacklustre performances, and convoluted twist are too much to overcome. They lead Shook to feel as empty, plastic and shallow as the social media influencers it derides.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Inventive Cinematography: Some of the camera work is genuinely creative, showing a directorial eye that is capable of more than the script allows.
- Visual Quirks: Projecting social media feeds onto the walls is an interesting, if occasionally awkward, alternative to standard text overlays.
- Daisye Tutor: Delivers a highly physical performance, putting a significant amount of effort into the constant emotional and physical demands of the role.
The Bad
- Derivative Plot: The opening act is almost a frame-by-frame homage to Scream, and the rest of the film struggles to find an original voice.
- Unlikable Characters: Mia and her friends are so vapid and shallow that it becomes difficult to feel any suspense regarding their safety.
- Convoluted Twists: The narrative attempts to subvert expectations with multiple rug-pulls, but they ultimately lead to a messy and illogical final act.
The Ugly: The “Farcical” Ending. The final conclusion manages to be both highly unlikely and incredibly predictable, ending the film on a particularly weak note.
Should You Watch Shook?
No. It is a 2 star film that prioritises messy plot twists over genuine tension. While the social media theme is timely, the execution feels cheap and familiar. If you want a better example of modern influencer horror, there are plenty of other follows on Shudder that deserve your attention more than this one. Give it a miss.
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