The part ghost story, part social thriller with cutting political commentary Under The Shadow is set for its UK Blu-ray debut this week, in a feature-packed Limited Edition box set, courtesy of Second Sight.
It is 1988 in Tehran, during the war between the Islamic post-revolutionary Iran and Iraq, and the former leftist medical student Shideh tries to return to the university but is barred by the dean as a consequence of that political history. The upset Shideh returns home and when her husband Dr. Iraj is assigned to work in a war zone, she refuses to move to his parent's house with their daughter Dorsa despite Iraqimair raids getting perilously close to their own apartment. Shideh prefers to stay in her apartment with Dorsa, who loves her doll Kimia and has a constant fever. Dorsa is afraid of demoniac Djinns and when Shideh asks who told her about the legend, she tells that her friend that lives downstairs. Shideh visits her neighbor and asks his mother to tell her son to not tell horror stories to Dorsa and she learns that the boy is mute. Then Kimia and Shideh's Jane Fonda workout tape disappears. When a missile strikes their building, the neighbors decide to leave Tehran, but Shideh stays in the apartment with Dorsa, who is increasingly disturbed. Soon Shideh reads about Djinns and finds that there is an evil entity in the apartment. Further, she must find Kimia; otherwise, Dorsa will be in danger since the Djinn will be attached to her.
This movie is a brilliant horror-thriller worth watching showing the psychology of a woman missing her husband and being in a war zone with her daughter, facing death on a daily basis. Then the horror of myths and legends, with an evil djinn trying to possess the daughter. The tension is incredible and for a directorial debut it's mightily impressive. I really cannot recommend this movie enough.
This brilliant movie which deserves to be not only to be released on Blu-Ray but to get the Second Sight treatment. This set has great special features including interviews and new audio commentary and is housed in a beautiful rigid slipcase featuring artwork by Christopher Shy, a softcover book (featuring new essays, behind the scenes photographs and concept illustrations) and a poster featuring the new artwork. These will an unboxing of this on my YouTube channel soon, so keep an eye out for that!
If you want to get this, I'd suggest you act fast as this region-free Blu-Ray is a limited edition of 2,000 ONLY.
Under the Shadow is rated 15 and is can be purchased directly from Second Sight Film.