Movie Review: Shell (2024)

Genre: Horror  

Director: Max Minghella  

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson  

Running Time: 101 minutes  

Synopsis: In the near future, Samantha (Elisabeth Moss) is a frumpy 40-something actress, single and finding roles increasingly hard to come by. She is encouraged to undergo skin rejuvenation treatment at Shell, a company founded by Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson) and using leading edge anti-aging technology. Samantha's skin psoriasis clears up, her career receives a boost, she finds a boyfriend, and becomes good friends with Zoe. But then Chloe (Kaia Gerber), another Shell client, mysteriously disappears, and Samantha starts experiencing disturbing side effects. 

What Works Well: Elisabeth Moss and Kate Hudson have fun in their roles, fueled by a buzzy current of mean humour (watch out for those self-driving taxis) and satire. The commentary on society's eternal body image obsession is familiar but on-target and delivered with conviction. Director Max Minghella keeps the pacing brisk with efficient character and setting introductions, saluting B-movie conventions. 

What Does Not Work As Well: The plot abruptly transitions from suspense and body horror to crazed monster-on-the-loose, shortchanging both sub-genres. Some key plot points, including Zoe cozying up to Samantha, the detectives poking around Chloe's disappearance, and the monster's storage and release timing details, serve the script rather than any logic.

Key Quote:

Samantha (line reading at an audition, but also describing herself): I wanted to be noticed...just have another person look at me and think I was funny...or pretty. I guess I just wanted you to look at me and see someone else.

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