Under the Shadow
2016
***½
Director: Babak Anvari
Cast: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, Arash Marandi
As the Iran-Iraq War escalates, Shideh's husband is sent to the front line and she foolishly decides to stay in Tehran with their daughter Dorsa. As the days pass, Shideh begins to suffer from horrific nightmares/hallucinations while Dorsa is convinced that the house is haunted by an evil spirit. Babak Anvari's directorial debut is a short and powerful horror film. The haunted house and a mother who begins to doubt her own parenting skills bring back memories of The Babadook. However, what makes this film stand out is Shideh, a wonderfully drawn and acted protagonist, who is caught between a potential demon and a very real religious police.
