Much like in The Babadook, first-time director Babak Anvari allows the question of the supernatural to orbit the action of Under the Shadow.

| Oct 22, 2021

You've got to push through the first forty or so minutes of Under the Shadow to get to the good stuff, but when it comes it comes with jack-in-the-box fierceness and doesn't let up

| Jul 14, 2021

It's just very raw, very real, but it's shot very beautifully, and the acting is superb.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 28, 2021

Under the Shadow may not be as jump-and-scream frightening as The Babadook, but the mother-daughter narrative of surviving war shouldn't be missed.

| Feb 17, 2021

Under the Shadow is a skillful slow burn of a movie, intermixing quiet, suggestively stacked details with an increasing number of unsettling shocks.

| Oct 10, 2020

Under the Shadow has all of the makings of a new horror classic: a compelling protagonist to root for, a unique setting and mythology, visceral and psychological terror, and creepy, effective monsters.

| Original Score: A- | Jul 3, 2020

Much like last year's A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, this a proudly, culturally authentic Iranian horror movie that... establishes itself in the horrifying reality of a real-world conflict.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Oct 4, 2019

First and foremost, this is a well-directed horror movie that has just the right mix of atmosphere and old-fashioned scares to delight the mainstream audiences. When you look deeper, though, there are treats for cinephiles to unpack.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 5, 2019

Encompasses many experiences and situations of women worldwide, and what living under the constant, forceful pressure of patriarchy can do to their psyches.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | May 7, 2019

Under the Shadow comes from a dark place. Firmly in the shade of the Cultural Revolution and deep into the Iran-Iraq War, the spectre of war and threat of tragedy looms large over what is, in essence, a stressful domestic drama.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 13, 2019

Under the Shadow is tense, unusual and well worth seeing, with mainstream appeal. It's a must-see even for non-horror fans.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 19, 2019

[Babak Anvari] makes masterful use of a time and place that is a hotbed of extreme self-righteousness, where something as basic as a woman's education and choice of clothing are under the microscope.

| Original Score: B- | Feb 5, 2019

Under the Shadow gives you a glimpse into the old and new aspects of Iranian culture, while also giving you a fright you won't soon forget.

| Original Score: 8.5/10 | Nov 2, 2018

Under the Shadow shows that horror is still alive and well in cinema and not only do I hope that Iran does more genre films, I really hope it brings Iranian cinema out of the shadows and into the mainstream.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 1, 2018

A timeless story about accepting the mistakes of our past...This is absolutely one of 2016's must-see films, horror or otherwise.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 31, 2018

An old school chiller, Under The Shadow offers more than just the usual scares. An interesting and welcome entry into the foreign language ghost story.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 30, 2018

It's anthropological, feminist, and historical. In short, it's excellent in ways few horror films are.

| Original Score: 4.6/5 | Aug 28, 2018

Under the Shadow simulates this discomfort and, when the world (and the rules that govern it) begins to unravel in the film's final act, the result is terrifying.

Full Review | Aug 28, 2018

Under the Shadow demands that we feel history as much as intellectually acknowledge it. Its important lessons cannot be taught through dates and names, but through something far more visceral, intoxicating and memorable.

| Aug 25, 2018

This is a must see and shows Iranian filmmaking just keeps producing excellent, thought provoking films. A proper psychological supernatural thriller with a good narrative and under 1hr 30 mins in length.

| Aug 21, 2018