by John Bizub, Contributing Writer
If there is one subgenre that many cinephiles have fallen in love recently, it is the stress-inducing film. Sure, films like After Hours and Requiem for a Dream, which are anxiety inducing paranoia thrillers, were very relevant upon their initial release. However, the popularity of this subgenre exploded with the 2017 film, Good Time. The Safdie brothers love to play around with time being a huge hurdle for the characters to jump over, and the characters’ decision-making also decides their fate. This pair of filmmakers would make themselves a household name with Good Time, as well as their next film, Uncut Gems. While the Safdies created the overabundance of this type of film, some have succeeded and some have failed in their efforts to make a similar type of film. It is best when they don’t attach their name to it – it works on its own.
Shiva Baby is written and directed by Emma Seligman and stars Rachel Sennott as Danielle, a bisexual Jewish college student who has no idea what to do with her future. She attends a Shiva, a Jewish tradition for mourning the dead. I am keeping it light on the plot because you should go into this film knowing nothing to have a better experience.
Going in, I have heard wonderful things about this film from the festival circuit. I heard it’s hilariously charming and at times comes across like a horror movie. Shiva Baby is a one-of-a-kind dark comedy that wastes no time and achieves what it sets out to do. It is wonderfully written with different hilarious twists and turns that do not pad out the runtime. The film clocks in at 77 minutes, and the pacing works very well. You want to see everything unfold onto Danielle’s already full plate. And the more things that pop into her life, the more interesting the story becomes.
The writing is very charming and darkly comedic – there will be scenes of cute family companionship while also having talks of someone’s sexuality. The performances by the entire cast are phenomenal. Everyone in the cast is given their moment to shine, especially by Rachel Sennott who carries the film forward. While I do love this film, my biggest issue is that it tries a bit too hard to fall into that anxiety inducing paranoia thriller subgenre. While I applaud the story structure, at times it felt like they were adding things onto Danielle without any meaning.
Still, I highly recommend Shiva Baby! It is a hilarious thrill ride that many should see, while ignoring its ugly marketing campaign. There is so much that happens in this film, and many viewers will become stressed if it blows up in Danielle’s face. Once again, this is a tightly paced and wonderfully acted film that would do wonders if shown in a packed crowd and on the big screen. Hopefully this sees a worldwide theatrical release soon.
Grade: A-