The plot of this remarkable film suggests it has been ripped from recent headlines, detailing a young woman's captivity in a shed. This all suggests a deeply unpleasant experience, but the filmmakers make a crucial choice to tell the story from the point of view of the woman's 5 year old son who knows no other world other than the room they are held in. Essentially a two-hander for much of the film between mother and son, it is deeply moving and uplifting despite the nature of the plot, as film portrays their daily existence, the young boy's attempts to make sense of the world around him and his mother's efforts to protect him. Both actors give remarkable performances, with Larson fully deserving the critical praise being thrown her way, yet the film is equally dependent on a wonderfully natural performance from the young Jacob Tremblay. Never exploitative, the film can be quite unsettling and tense at times, but as the story gives way to the aftermath, the focus on the bond between parent and child throughout make for a film that is powerfully affecting.
Shout by Simon MasseyVIP 11BlockedParent2016-01-25T16:32:55Z
The plot of this remarkable film suggests it has been ripped from recent headlines, detailing a young woman's captivity in a shed. This all suggests a deeply unpleasant experience, but the filmmakers make a crucial choice to tell the story from the point of view of the woman's 5 year old son who knows no other world other than the room they are held in. Essentially a two-hander for much of the film between mother and son, it is deeply moving and uplifting despite the nature of the plot, as film portrays their daily existence, the young boy's attempts to make sense of the world around him and his mother's efforts to protect him. Both actors give remarkable performances, with Larson fully deserving the critical praise being thrown her way, yet the film is equally dependent on a wonderfully natural performance from the young Jacob Tremblay. Never exploitative, the film can be quite unsettling and tense at times, but as the story gives way to the aftermath, the focus on the bond between parent and child throughout make for a film that is powerfully affecting.