Story: Mary Portman (Naomi Watts), a widowed psychologist, shuts herself in her house to take care of her disabled 19-year-old son (Charlie Heaton). Plagued by paranoia, nightmares and hallucinations, the sudden disappearance of one of her young patients (Jacob Tremblay) makes her doubt her own sanity and safety.
Review: An isolated house, stormy nights and a lonely existence… director Farren Blackburn’s psychological thriller has all the ingredients that are bound to spook you. Sadly, even a competent actor like Naomi Watts, fails to keep this sinking ship afloat, thanks to its done to death, wafer-thin plot.
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Monotony creeps in as the scares fail to go beyond the obvious and imaginable. While few situations are fear-inducing, the rest can put you to sleep. Mary’s recurrent nightmares evoke exhaustion eventually.
The twist in the end is interestingly unpredictable. However, the climax is way too stretched for your liking. You wish that more time was given to establish the characters as you don’t feel compelled to analyse their abnormal behaviour as a result.
To cut to the chase, Shut In is like one of those forgettable low-budget slasher films that fail to make an impression. Barring Naomi Watts’ fearless presence, there is almost nothing that stands out or sends shivers down your spine. Charlie Heaton is decent but Jacob Tremblay is terribly wasted.
You walk into this film, hoping to feel claustrophobic but walk out trying to shake off boredom.