SHIVA BABY (2020)

“So you just study, and don’t eat, and go out with your beautiful friends, is that it?”

Shiva Baby is the awesome anxiety-inducing debut film from writer-director Emma Seligman starring actor-comedian Rachel Sennott. Though the setting is very contained, the narrative is all about trying to regain power in the face of chaos. To bring her vision to the screen, Seligman worked with her NYU network, resulting in a lot of women and queer people working behind the scenes. The fantastic performances combined with Ariel Marx’s horror-esque score and Maria Rusche’s cinematography create an atmosphere that is claustrophobic, invasive, and painfully funny.

When I tell you that I felt both seen & triggered by the chaos in this movie, I mean I was rocking back and forth on my couch and humming loudly trying to self sooth. People have compared the anxiety of this movie to 2019’s Uncut Gems, which isn’t inaccurate, it’s just that while I’ve never been a jewelry dealer with a crippling gambling addiction, I have been forced to explain my life choices at funerals to family members I don’t really know while stuffing food into my face to avoid feeling anything. If you haven’t watched this movie yet, what are you waiting for, go give them your dollars!
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