As a gamer who has spent countless hours navigating the virtual world of film criticism, I can confidently say that Shell is a movie that knows exactly what it wants to be: a campy, guilty pleasure. It’s like discovering an obscure VHS tape at a garage sale, popping it into your vintage player, and being pleasantly surprised by the wild ride that unfolds on your screen.
The movie Shell was designed to be enjoyed as a somewhat naughty indulgence. It aims to captivate viewers during off-peak hours, such as midday or late at night on cable. Many films have gained popularity in this manner, particularly prior to the era of streaming. These are typically small-scale productions with an amusing, self-aware tone and gifted actors given the chance to experiment and showcase their range, often without significant career risk. In the worst-case scenario, the film becomes a curiosity—not excellent, but intriguing enough in its flaws. However, in the best-case scenario, it could become one of those undiscovered treasures that enjoys a resurgence on home video.
Max Minghella, the director, is intentionally crafting an over-the-top horror-comedy with dark undertones in his film Shell, which explores the unjust nature of beauty standards in today’s world. Having made his directorial debut six years ago with Teen Spirit, Minghella returns to the Toronto International Film Festival with another project featuring a character yearning for stardom. In this movie, Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss) is a TV actress aiming for film roles, but in the ruthless world of Hollywood, she finds herself at the very bottom. Her management team believes it’s high time for her to reinvent herself.
In walks Zoe Shannon, portrayed by Kate Hudson, along with her thriving business – Shell, a company that has devised an innovative therapy aimed at enhancing general wellness and halting the aging process. Initially skeptical, Samantha is persuaded by the charismatic Dr. Hubert (Arian Moayed). At the clinic, she unexpectedly encounters Chloe Benson (Kaia Gerber), a youthful woman she once babysat. The two rekindle their friendship. However, Samantha ponders why someone as young as Chloe would require such treatment. Fresh to the acting scene, Chloe is already vying for roles with Samantha. One might wonder why she’d seek changes at this early stage in her career.
Following the treatment, Chloe mysteriously vanishes, while Samantha is initially preoccupied by her sudden rise in popularity and doesn’t notice right away. The treatment transforms Samantha’s life; she feels more self-assured both on and off camera, purchasing a new home and recruiting her best friend Lydia (Este Haim) to work as her assistant to handle her newfound success. She also develops a close relationship with Zoe, who motivates her to use her power as a woman to achieve her goals.
Samantha flourishes as she lands her ideal movie part, experiencing a newfound sense of sexiness for the first time ever in her life. However, when the treatment associated with this role unexpectedly causes adverse effects on Samantha, the veneer of Zoe and her beauty business begins to falter. It doesn’t take long before Samantha recognizes that the same fate as Chloe is befalling her as well.
By the 100-minute mark, the movie titled “Shell” seems surprisingly brief. The screenplay by Jack Stanley moves swiftly from scene to scene, providing little opportunity for reflection about the unfolding narrative. Mackenzie Moss delivers a commendable performance as Samantha, but the character is underdeveloped, offering limited depth to grasp onto. The protagonist’s transformation primarily takes place internally, as she finds her self-assurance and seemingly overcomes her troubles. However, since much of this change occurs within, there isn’t a great deal of observable progress or resolution for the audience.
The story comes into sharper focus as the horror elements slowly creep in. The body horror aspects are among the most interesting, injecting the film with a nice dose of violence. Hudson is having a lot of fun as Zoe, but the film keeps stopping short of making her a full-on camp villain. Everything she does feels a little too tame, too neat, when she should be getting her hands dirty. Shell is at its best when it goes for the grotesque, but the look of the film is a little too clean to fully sell it. The visceral nature of classic camp horror is what makes it so memorable. There’s bravery in a film that’s not afraid to commit to being ugly.
Fundamentally, Shell’s comments on the beauty industry lack depth, and when a movie doesn’t offer substantial content, its success relies heavily on its atmosphere and acting. Regardless of the film’s flaws, the cast, featuring lively performances by Peter MacNichol, Amy Landecker, and Randall Park, delivers commendably and seems to enjoy the narrative. Although Shell doesn’t challenge contemporary beauty ideals or become a cult favorite as intended, it still holds its ground as an intriguing oddity.
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2024-09-14 18:54