My opinion on the film Under the Shadow

The other night I started watching Under the Shadow on Netflix, an Iran-UK-Jordan-Katar co-production, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2017, and it was quite a surprise.

At first I thought it was going to be just another typical scary movie, but it has some details that make it different and well done.

Written and directed by Babak Anvari, the story takes place in Iran during the war with Iraq in the 80s, and is about a mother and daughter who start to feel strange presences in their flat in Tehran.

Little by little a very oppressive atmosphere is created, with a lot of mystery.

What I liked most is that although it has scares and moments of psychological terror, it doesn't resort to excesses of blood and gore.

It plays more with the unseen and the explicit, and that's why it has a greater impact on the viewer.

I also appreciate that it incorporates details of the Iranian culture of the time and introduces elements of Iranian legends. It gives it authenticity and originality.

The performances are very successful, especially that of the mother, played by Narges Rashidi, who transmits a lot of anguish and desperation.

It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat until the end with its slow but effective pace and its mix of horror and drama genres.

It shows that you don't need big effects or cheap scares to create a terrifying atmosphere.

Highly recommended if you like mystery films.