Let’s get this out of the way: if you haven’t seen writer and director Jeff Nichols‘ debut feature “Shotgun Stories” get on that now. It’s one of the most assured and powerful filmmaking debuts in recent memory and it’s no surprise that Michael Shannon has returned once again to work with Nichols, this time in the psychological thriller “Take Shelter.”
Premiering at Sundance in January and winning the Cannes Critics Week sidebar Grand Prix, the film is a powerful portrayal of one man’s loosening grip on reality (or is he?). Shannon leads the film as Curtis, a normally reliable family man who begins to suffer from terrifying nightmares about an impending storm that will doom humanity. He seeks out help but his paranoia grows and he begins to build a tornado shelter in his backyard in case the inevitable should happen, though his marriage and career begin to fall apart in the process. But, this isn’t just about a man going crazy. Nichols’ razor sharp script investigates the contemporary fears men of the household face and even how one’s sense of masculinity can be quickly eroded.
Needless to say, it’s a great piece of work and a film you should definitely seek out when it hits later this year via Sony Pictures Classics. Check out the trailer and a scene from the film below.
