SHELL
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson, Kaia Gerber, Arian Moayed, Este Haim, and Elizabeth Berkley
Director: Max Minghella
NICK
Truth be told, I've never been a fan of Elisabeth Moss. I just don't usually connect with her roles. With Shell, that's not the case. Moss gives a performance that is both vulnerable and empowering while also balancing the film’s humour. That balance is needed because the humour permeates the entire film and is the main reason Shell is as enjoyable as it is. Things get progressively more ridiculous as the plot builds, and it finds itself on shaky footing for a bit, but because the entire cast buys in, you will as well. Based on my audience, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
KATIE
Shell sometimes feels like an inferior version of The Substance, which is a shame since Shell was actually released beforehand. Yet and still, it is very fun and entertaining overall. I often find that Elisabeth Moss resorts to very similar ways of emoting, which can lessen the impact of her performance. However, she is great in this role, even though she is overshadowed by Kate Hudson’s perfectly campy character, which better suits the tone of the film. I loved its retro-futuristic aesthetic, the sci-fi elements, and the squeamish body horror, but I just wish it didn’t spell out its point so literally.
This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.