"THE SHADE" (2023) Explores The Darkness Of Generational Mental Health Struggles (REVIEW)
Why is horror such a good metaphor for mental health? The obvious reasons are based on how each makes us feel inside, both provide discomfort and distort reality in terrifying ways, but beyond that does the juxtaposition still work in the year 2024? The answer to that is by nature subjective, but what is clear is that with an increasing destigmatization of mental health and the growing number of people who identify as struggling with a mental health issue all work in service of normalization, and that’s a good thing. This begs the question, does the metaphor still hold value, or is it working against the broader goal of acceptance and awareness of these conditions? “The Shade,” the latest film from Level 33 Entertainment and writer/director Tyler Chipman explores the adjacency of imagined horrors and actual struggles with mental health conditions. Does “The Shade” unearth new ground on a well-worn topic, or is it rehashing the same beats we’ve seen before?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Following the loss of his father, a grieving twenty-year-old struggles to hold his family together as an unspeakable darkness plagues his older brother.
HOW IS IT?
“The Shade” is another in a long line of films that uses horror as a metaphor for broader mental health struggles. It’s a trope that still has lots of merit, but like anything that is à la mode, it can also be plagued by mediocrity and redundancy. To its, “The Shade” excels with strong performances derived from authentically crafted characters who make the emotional beats more potent. However, it fails to tread new ground by offering another horror movie that wears its subtext on its sleeve like patches on a denim jacket. Subtly and nuance are absent as we follow the same beats we’ve seen before, with a thin veil of horror imagery layered on top that while effective, isn’t enough to elevate some of the benign story beats and a prolonged runtime.
If you’ve seen one mental health horror movie, you’ve probably seen something like “The Shade” before. A father commits suicide leaving behind his three sons, the oldest, Jason (DYLAN MCTEE), and middle son, Ryan (CHRIS GALUST ) suffer from severe mental health issues that are infringing on their ability to live their lives comfortably. Ryan is our main character, so we see everything through his perspective (figuratively) as he tries to balance caring for his younger brother, James (SAM DUNCAN), and combatting the night terrors and anxiety attacks that plague him regularly. As someone with a clinically diagnosed anxiety disorder, there is a lot of truth in Galust’s performance that will resonate with those who have and continue to suffer from severe panic attacks. The core premise of “The Shade” is the hereditary impact of mental health issues and the trickle-down effect they can have within a family unit. Ryan overcompensates with his brother James because of the strained relationship he has with Jason. Still, we never really get to see that relationship deteriorate, or have clear reasons as to why. We are just expected to accept that Jason has some kind of mental health struggle that his dad had, but the ambiguity around this doesn’t serve the purpose of the narrative. Hereditary mental health issues don’t manifest in the same ways for everyone, as is somewhat alluded to here, so ignoring the background between Jason and Ryan ultimately doesn’t serve to create a deeper understanding for either character. What keeps “The Shade” from drowning under the weight of this lack of detail is the strong performances from all three brothers, particularly Ryan and Jason.
Performance matters in movies where mental health is the core issue, and in the case of “The Shade,” it should be commended as to how effective and immersive the actors portraying their roles are. Ryan’s panic attacks feel real, especially for those who have suffered them in the past, and Jason’s night hallucinations and sleepwalking are both terrifying and sad, and if only the film had a more efficient use of time and story these performances could’ve buoyed things to create a more impactful and engaging film. Part of the problem is that “The Shade” is over 2 hours long. We have nothing against a long movie, but a horror movie over 2 hours long often spells trouble ahead given that they often overstay their welcome with bloated stories that defeat the tension and suspense building of a tight script. Sadly, that’s the case with “The Shade.” So much time is spent convincing the audience that mental health is a problem when very little convincing is needed given where we are in our society today and the strong performances within. This is most noticeable in the third act, where things start to barrel towards an odd conclusion that ultimately is supposed to serve a sense of empowerment, but comes off as a little corny. For a subject matter so serious, it is strange to end the film at such a juvenile moment and erode any sense of horror that has been established prior. In the end, it feels like “The Shade” is a film with good intentions marred by a middling execution. It isn’t a bad movie by a long shot, but it doesn’t have the kind of impact it could with a bit more precision and focus.
LAST RITES
“The Shade” succeeds in delivering believable and captivating performances from its leads, but stumbles to make a broader impact with a generic story about mental health that doesn’t add much to the conversation and a bloated runtime that diminishes much of the tension built during peak moments.
THE GORY DETAILS
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Written By
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Where can you watch it?
“The Shade” is now available to stream on digital PVOD in North America!
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