‘He was chosen.’
The Shelter is a 2015 Canadian-American psychological horror thriller film written, directed and produced by John Fallon.
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The movie stars Michael Paré, Lauren Alexandra, Rachel G. Whittle, Amy Wickenheiser, Gayle James, Brigette Rose, Thomas Johnston, David M. Lawson.
Plot:
On a star-filled night, a widower and homeless man Thomas Jacobs (Michael Paré) finds shelter for the night when he falls upon a vast two-storey house with the lights on and an inviting open front door. He strolls on in thinking he just caught a lucky break and for a while, it would appear as though he did.
However, soon enough, he realises that the house won’t let him leave, as its doors are all locked while its windows cannot be opened or broken. Destiny has brought Thomas to this place. What does it want from him? Will he survive the ordeal?
Review:
Journeyman actor Michael Paré stars as Thomas, a down and out drifter, in this distended morality play. Reminiscent of a Rorschach test, or indicative of how a schizophrenic sees the world, the film jumps back and forth in time, from the past to the present to someplace else, going so far as to time-leap during dream sequences, then catapulting sidewise into some other realm, which might or might not be hell, all of this in a strenuous grasp for significance and pompous “deep structure”. Obviously, director John Fallon shows no shame when it comes to grandiloquence.
Opening on a rather overt coupling scene between Thomas and Maggie (Amy Wickenheiser), an acquaintance of Thomas’s young enough to be his daughter, our character map and plot trajectory are laid out: Thomas has lost everything for some reason, has become a homeless drifter, and has few scruples when it comes to shacking and shaking with whoever will take him in.
On this go-round, Maggie is willing to shake but not shack; Thomas is asked to leave before her boyfriend, who’s the jealous type, gets back home. On the empathetic side, though, she tells him he take a bottle of scotch for the road. Out and about, he encounters more rejection, hostility, and a seemingly empty house that induces visions from his past, his present, and some depleted dreamland slowly degenerating into a nightmare.
Paré’s acting, as to be expected from a pro who’s been in the business for several decades, is quite polished, but not to the point of staleness; he gives unexpected turns and a nicely energetic portrayal of a proud but on the skids man looking for, you guessed it, shelter. Though partly due to the role, he does look as though he’s put in a few more miles than what he had back in his halcyon days of Eddie and the Cruisers. But this, too, is to be expected, considering everyone ages. This natural ripening is actually beneficial to where the character of Thomas is at this point in his life, so Paré’s maturity works here. Lauren Alexandra as Thomas’s wife and Amy Wickenheiser’s depiction of Thomas’s brief one-night stand is less refined but serviceable nonetheless.
Bobby Holbrook’s cinematography, on the other hand, seems to be playing on one note through the entirety of the movie; everything has the appearance of flatness, and the colour is almost continually forced into a muted blue tonality in virtually every scene, from interiors to most exteriors, from night scenes to day scenes, from dreams to nightmares; the perpetually soft glow from ambient light filtering through frosted glass and misty fog diminishes badly needed depth in interiors and landscapes. Unfortunately, the lack of visual variety leaves the viewer with nothing to hold onto, no heft, and it brings on worrisome boredom to Thomas’s struggle. The flavourless images aren’t helped by Director Fallon’s script, which may very well have called for such symbolising of Thomas’s state of mind, but the disjointed theme is made even more ambiguous by the thin cinematography rather than clarifying it.
The Shelter isn’t very horrifying. It’s not very coherent, either; it focuses a lot on religious symbolism: crosses, crucifixes, Catholic cemeteries, a Catholic church, a mysterious Bible with blank pages, biblical quotes even begin and end the film. Other things happen in the movie that may or may not be of religious significance: the infinity symbol is present on a locked door in the house; whenever Thomas tries to light a cigarette, the lighter goes out, the name Thomas itself, as in doubting Thomas; Audrey appearing in Thomas’s nightmares telling him to ask for forgiveness so he can save himself.
All these things point to some Christian intent on the filmmaker’s part; what throws that association out the window is the amount of rote rutting in some scenes, which leads one to assume, Fallon was only using the religious symbolism as a cheap attempt to add gravitas to a threadbare story. If you have to watch it, watch it only for Paré’s fine performance and leave the rest behind.
Ben Spurling, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
Paré, doing most of his acting alone and in relative silence, is a standout. He’s got to carry this whole film on his shoulders, and he does it ably. The supporting cast is up to par, but they’re basically peripheral characters. It’s Paré’s parade, lock and stock.” Dread Central
“Veteran character actor Paré strikes just the right notes as a man literally haunted by his past. When Thomas gets a glimpse at the life he could have led if he hadn’t been so selfish, Paré’s wary expressions — half-giddy, half-heartbroken — are sublime. Overall, The Shelter is a bit too clever for its own good.” Los Angeles Times
” …although the film is a mere 1hr 16m, it feels a lot longer. The film could have been cut and made into a short film, and it would still have the same overall effect and message put across to the audience. A lot of the time I found myself checking the time of the film, and this is quite disappointing as it is a good idea for a film…” The Movie Waffler
“The Shelter isn’t a horror movie. It is an unsettling-at-times psychological drama, but horror fans may have to temper their expectations. Regardless, though, Fallon’s maiden voyage is a well-executed descent into one man’s dark state of mind and it’s as indie as it gets. In that regard, it must be considered a huge success.” Ravenous Monster
“For all its anger and impressive visuals, The Shelter is a meditative piece about moving from confusion to the acceptance of something perhaps cannot be fully understood. Fallon’s piece is piercing as a disconcerting family dreamscape, if not always focused. With a little more clarity of purpose, his work may be extraordinary.” Starburst
Filming locations:
Lafayette, Louisiana
Release:
The film premiered on 28 August 2015 at the Film4 FrightFest in London, England.
In North America, the film was released on DVD on January 3, 2017, via Uncork’d Entertainment. Extras include an audio commentary with John Fallon, a video interview with star Michael Paré, a video tour of the house location, storyboards, the teaser, and the trailer.
