Director Michael Mohan has agreed (and warned) that most streaming versions of Immaculate are too dark

A lot of movies (and TV shows) are too damn dark these days. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down to watch something made in recent years to end up gradually getting frustrated that I can barely see anything on the screen. Usually, it seems intentional, like directors want you to struggle to see the image for some reason. It was jarring when we saw how dark Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem was, but now that seems to be normal. But the overwhelming darkness isn’t always intentional – for example, director Michael Mohan has taken to social media to let viewers know that his psychological horror film Immaculate (you can read our review HERE) was not meant to be as dark as it is on most streaming services.

X user Sgtzima complained, “Immaculate is comically dark. I’m watching it in a dimly lit room in the evening and can barely make out what’s happening on screen. Why would anybody do this intentionally?” Mohan replied, “I know, man. This was absolutely not done intentionally. We have no control over the compression specs of each platform. It’s a real problem that truly bums me out, and after comparing them all, iTunes is the closest to what we wanted / brighter than the rest.“

I knew movie theatres setting their projector lights too low can result in movies being dark, but I didn’t know streaming services were getting in on these darkening shenanigans as well.

Scripted by Andrew Lobel, Immaculate stars Sydney Sweeney, who previously worked with Mohan on the erotic thriller The Voyeurs and the Netflix series Everything Sucks! Sweeney takes on the role of Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Her warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside is soon interrupted as it becomes clearer to Cecilia that her new home harbors some dark and horrifying secrets.

Simona Tabasco (The White Lotus), Alvaro Morte (Money Heist), Benedetta Porcaroli (Baby), and Dora Romano (The Hand of God) are also in the cast.

Sweeney (who first auditioned for the project when she was a teenager, at which time the lead character was a high schooler rather than a nun) produced the film through her company Fifty-Fifty Films, alongside Jonathan Davino. Also producing are Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler of Black Bear and Middle Child Pictures’ David Bernad, who developed the project with Sweeney after they worked together on the Emmy-winning series The White Lotus. Will Greenfield and Black Bear’s John Friedberg and Christopher Casanova serve as executive producers. Black Bear provided the financing.

Have you seen Immaculate the way Mohan intended it to be seen, or did you watch a too dark streaming version? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Nicholas Galitzine has been tapped to star as He-Man in the long-gestating big-screen reboot of Masters of the Universe.

Amazon-MGM is getting back in business with the star of their streaming smash, The Idea of You, with the studio signing Nicholas Galitzine to star as He-Man in their big-screen Masters of the Universe film. Set to be directed by Bumblebee‘s Travis Knight, the road to the big-screen for this would-be fantasy epic has been long and twisted. 

While everyone is aware of the famous (or rather infamous) Cannon Films version starring Dolph Lundgren, over the years, many studios tried to reboot the classic property, which is based on Mattel’s famous line of toys and the old cartoon show. In it, Prince Adama defends Eternia against the evil Skeletor with the help of his Power Sword, which transforms him into the ripped god of a man, He-Man. 

Netflix previously came close to rebooting this saga, with Noah Centineo having been signed to play the role, even documenting his physical transformation on social media. The streamer ended up pulling the plug on the film, although they did launch a controversial animated reboot written by Kevin Smith.

While the film is being produced for an eventual Prime Video release, the expectation is that the movie will make its debut in theatres, with the studio staking out a June 5, 2026, release date for the hoped-for tentpole. It’ll be interesting to see if Galitzine’s streaming stardom will transfer over to the big screen; he’s been the star of three of the biggest streaming movies of the last few years – Purple Hearts for Netflix, The Idea of You and Red, White and Royal Blue for Prime Video. The latter film is due to get a sequel, which Galitzine will film before Masters of the Universe. Certainly, the actor will need time to buff up for the musclebound part. As for me, I’m more interested in who will play Skeletor. Say what you will about the Awfully Good 1987 film, but Frank Langella was a blast in the role.

What do you think of Galitzine landing the role of He-Man? Let us know in the comments. 

Scandal actress Kerry Washington joins the list of prime suspects for Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Update: A few hours after confirming Kerry Washington’s participation in the upcoming Knives Out sequel, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, we hear that Glenn Close is also confirmed to join the cast. The Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, and Hillbilly Elegy star is the latest of Hollywood’s heavy hitters to sign up for the next chapter of Rian Johnson’s whodunit series, starring Daniel Craig as the diabolical detective Benoit Blanc.

Original Article: The next chapter of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out film series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, is sharpening with exciting additions to the cast. After announcing co-stars like Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, and Andrew Scott, Daniel Craig’s Kentucky-fried detective, Benoit Blanc, is poised to cross paths with Kerry Washington (Scandal, Ray, The School for Good and Evil) in the upcoming Knives Out mystery. Washing joins the expanding cast, with Rian Johnson directing and writing the third installment of the murder mystery saga.

Plot details remain scarce, though it’s safe to assume more intriguing stars will join the cast in the coming weeks. The first film in the series, Knives Out, occurred in a stately manor and revolved around a corrupt and toxic family’s dark secrets and desires. In contrast, the second chapter, Glass Onion, finds Benoit Blanc traveling to a remote island to disrupt a posh dinner party with murder on the menu. While Knives Out debuted exclusively in theaters, Netflix paid $450 million for two sequels.

Kerry Washington is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker, actor, producer, and director. Famously known for her Emmy-winning role as Olivia Pope in the Scandal series, Washington appears in films like Django Unchained, The School for Good and Evil, Bad Company, Save the Last Dance, and Fantastic Four.

One of her latest television projects is the original Hulu series Unprisoned. Washington plays Paige Alexander in the series, which also stars Delroy Lindo and Faly Rakotohavana. Unprisoned follows a therapist and single mom whose life turns right-side-up when her dad exits prison and moves to her house to live with her and her teenage son.

Kerry Washington is also partnering with Tyler Perry for the filmmaker’s latest project, Six Triple Eight, about 855 women who joined the war to fix the three-year backlog of undelivered mail. Faced with discrimination and a country devastated by war, they managed to sort more than 17 million pieces of mail ahead of time. Susan Sarandon, Dean Norris, and Sam Waterson star as lead cast members.

What do you think the plot for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is about? Are you excited by the cast announcements? Let us know in the comments section below.

Bill Skarsgard, who previously played Pennywise in the It films, said playing the vampire in Nosferatu was like conjuring pure evil

Several months ago, we got our first look at the “crazy vampire hunter” character Willem Dafoe plays in The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman writer/director Robert Eggers‘ remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu (watch it HERE) – but we still haven’t gotten a good look at the title character, who is brought to life this time around by Bill Skarsgard (It). It would probably be for the best if we don’t see Skarsgard’s Count Orlok until the film reaches theatres on Wednesday, December 25th – but during a new interview with Esquire, the actor did discuss the process of playing the character, which he said was like conjuring pure evil.

During his conversation with Esquire, Skarsgard revealed that, during the Nosferatu production, he had to spend three to six hours every day getting the makeup and prosthetics put on so he could become Count Orlok. He mostly stayed away from his co-stars and worked with an opera singer to bring his voice down to its lowest possible pitch. He said, “It took its toll. It was like conjuring pure evil. It took a while for me to shake off the demon that had been conjured inside of me. … I do not think people are gonna recognize me in it.” When asked if the vampire is sexy, he replied, “He’s gross. But it is very sexualized. It’s playing with a sexual fetish about the power of the monster and what that appeal has to you. Hopefully you’ll get a little bit attracted by it and disgusted by your attraction at the same time.“

Eggers was also asked how into character Skarsgard got. He said, “I remember early on, him trying to talk to me about what it meant to be a dead sorcerer—and I’m into some pretty heavy occult shit, but he was on a different level. I was like, ‘This sounds accurate, but I don’t know how to converse about this with any fluidity.’“

An unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the original Nosferatu has the following synopsis: In this highly influential silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck) summons Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroeder). After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Meanwhile Orlok’s servant, Knock (Alexander Granach), prepares for his master to arrive at his new home.

Eggers’ Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.

Skarsgard and Dafoe are joined in the Nosferatu cast by Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) as Ellen Hutter and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield) as her husband Thomas – a role Skarsgard was going to play at one point. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train) is in there as Thomas’s friend Friedrich Harding, with Emma Corrin (The Crown) as Friedrich’s wife Anna, Ralph Ineson (The Witch) as Von Franz’s cohort Dr. Wilhelm Sievers, and Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2) in an unspecified role.

Are you looking forward to seeing Bill Skarsgard’s character and performance in Nosferatu? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Fandango is bringing the first two episodes of the latest Star Wars series, The Acolyte, to theaters for a limited engagement.

Lucasfilm and Disney+ are going to the galaxy’s edge and back to onboard Star Wars fans for The Acolyte, the latest series set in a galaxy far, far away. The first two episodes of the gritty Star Wars science-fiction drama are coming to select theaters courtesy of Fandango. This unique free event occurs across the United States on June 3, one day before Disney+ subscribers can experience the action at home. To get tickets to this limited and once-in-a-lifetime event for The Acolyte, you must follow the link and instructions provided by Fandango.

Set hundreds of years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte takes place during the High Republic era of the franchise. The series stars Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Dafne Keen (Logan), Charlie Barnett (You), Jodie Turner-Smith (Anne Boleyn), Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones), Joonas Suotamon (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections).

The logline reads: “An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.”

The first reactions to The Acolyte arrived last week after a limited screening, with many overwhelmingly positive comments. Viewers praised the show’s stellar performances, nail-biting action, and intriguing murder mystery plot. In particular, audiences say Amandla Sternberg, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Lee Jung-Jae are sensational additions to the Star Wars universe.

In addition to The Acolyte, Star Wars fans can anticipate The Mandalorian & Grogu, a new Star Wars feature directed by Jon Favreau, coming to theaters on May 22, 2026. The Mandalorian & Grogu will lead Lucasfilm’s ongoing feature-development slate, which includes films helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, and Dave Filoni, who is also currently developing Ahsoka Season 2, among those in the works.

Will you try to check out the Fandango link for your chance to see the first two episodes of The Acolyte in theaters? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

From the Let The Right One In writer, this rethinks zombies and provides a dissection of life after loss and what it truly means.

PLOT: On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want?

REVIEW: Zombies have had a prominent place in horror for nearly a century. What started with more voodoo origins became the shambling undead of George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. And that’s pretty much where zombies have stayed. Sure, the running variant has been added to the picture, but they still operate in much of the same way: aggressive eating of any human in sight. And in the same way he was able to do with Let The Right One In, screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist provides a new take on zombies in Handling the Undead.

Following three families after they deal with a tragic loss, a strange power phenomenon results in the recently deceased returning from the dead. Loss and grief are prime candidates for any horror film because they’re so universal. Some of the best zombie films deal with humans and their relationship with the dead. Past relationships and memories are put aside in favor of human food. Handling the Undead takes a look at what would happen if the dead returned, but weren’t immediately violent. How would we handle loss if those we’ve lost are staring us right in the eye?

Each of the performances is great, with the loss of a lover, a mother, and a young child all providing plenty of ammunition for these actors. The idea of seeing someone you love devoid of all that made them who they are, is haunting. But it’s also the main focus of the film, which means it’s a tad light on narrative. Most of what is said could have been done in a 15-minute short film versus the nearly 100-minute feature we receive. I love simplified films but this one may just be lacking in anything outside of its central concept.

When losing a loved one, the prominent thought is “I would do anything to get them back?” Handling the Undead asks the very tough question of: “If you had them back, what would that actually mean?” Because while they may physically be there, everything that made that person who they are, is gone. Watching the different families learn this and come to this conclusion on their own results in plenty of self-reflection. Though, its more grounded approach conflicts with the more stereotypical conclusion to the story.

Handling the Undead is very deliberate with its pacing. These long shots, accompanied by an intense sound design or beautiful violin, really help to further establish the atmosphere. Every frame is asking the viewer to sit and contemplate, whether it’s those made by the characters or the decisions you would make in their shoes. I can’t deny that the film is very slow, sometimes to the point of frustration. As much as the filmmakers want us to sit and stew on certain moments, the momentum of the film suffers because of it.

Zombies are often seen as these shambling creatures, animalistic in their instincts. They immediately enter villain mode and are easy antagonists. Handling the Undead treats them as an unknown force without a clear sense of direction. This both works for the intrigue, but raises even more questions with its third act. I really appreciated the filmmaking talent on display, I just question whether the narrative was strong enough to warrant a feature film.

HANDLING THE UNDEAD IS OUT IN SELECT CITIES ON JUNE 7TH, 2024.

Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri enter a pact to keep each other in check on their way to the top in The Bear Season 3 trailer.

Yes, Chef! Who’s ready for a main course of drama smothered in a light anxiety sauce? The Bear Season 3 trailer is getting served hot today, with Carmy and the gang taking on their most difficult challenge as they move up the ladder of fine dining establishments. The critically acclaimed Emmy Award-winning comedy series premieres on Thursday, June 27, exclusively on Disney+ in Canada. All ten episodes will be available at the season’s start.

The following synopsis arrives courtesy of the official press release for The Bear Season 3 trailer:

Season three of FX’s “The Bear” follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they do what it takes to elevate The Bear, their beef stand turned fine dining establishment, to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business. It’s a losing battle every single day in the restaurant business. Carmy pushes himself harder than ever, and demands excellence from his crew, who do their best to match his intensity.

Their quest for culinary excellence will propel the crew to new levels and stress the bonds that hold the restaurant together. As the team grows in size, each member will strive to reach a greater level of service within their role. In the restaurant industry, you’re never on solid ground, and with that ever-changing landscape comes new challenges and opportunities. Our chefs have learned that every second counts, but this season we’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to tomorrow.

The Bear also stars Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Matty Matheson, with Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon in recurring roles.

In The Bear Season 3 trailer, Carmy and his talented team confront the fast-paced, make-or-break cycle of working a premier dining spot. With so much competition on every street corner, it’s sink or swim for any eatery worth its salt. While Carmy’s lofty expectations for The Bear are admirable, his obsession with becoming the best in the business sabotages his personal life. He’s willing to sacrifice a shot at love to honor his brother’s memory and prove he’s not a failure to the world, but at what cost? Meanwhile, Sydney’s role at the restaurant is more important than ever as she enters a pact to keep Carmy in check throughout his ascension. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen, but what choice does anyone have when The Bear’s reputation is at stake?

What do you think about The Bear Season 3 trailer? Do you like the restaurant better when it was called The Original Beef of Chicagoland? Do you think you could afford to eat at The Bear? Let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Guy Ritchie is set to direct all eight episodes of Prime Video’s Young Sherlock series, with Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes

Deadline reports that Hero Fiennes Tiffin of the After film series has signed on to star in the Young Sherlock series that has been ordered by Prime Video – and to clear up any possible confusion before it can arise: no, this is not a series reboot or continuation of the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes, which came to us from director Barry Levinson, screenwriter Chris Columbus, and producer Steven Spielberg. Rather, this is an adaptation of the Young Sherlock series of novels that author Andrew Lane started writing in 2010. That series was a response to the success Charlie Higson was having with his series of Young James Bond novels. Guy Ritchie is on board to direct and executive produce all eight episodes of Young Sherlock‘s first season. Ritchie, of course, has prior Sherlock Holmes experience, having directed Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic character in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes and its 2011 sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Since this series is an adaptation of Lane’s work, it’s probably not connected to Ritchie’s movies.

Written and executive produced by showrunner Matthew Parkhill (Deep State), Young Sherlock is said to be an irreverent, action-packed origin story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved detective in an explosive re-imagining of this iconic character. At age 19, Sherlock Holmes is disgraced, raw, unfiltered, and unformed, when he finds himself caught up in a murder mystery at Oxford University which threatens his freedom. Diving into his first-ever case with a wild lack of discipline, Sherlock manages to unravel a globe-trotting conspiracy that will change his life forever.

Ritchie provided the following statement: “In Young Sherlock we’re going to see an exhilarating new version of the detective everyone thinks they know in a way they’ve never imagined before. We’re going to crack open this enigmatic character, find out what makes him tick, and learn how he becomes the genius we all love.“

Simon Kelton, Ivan Atkinson, Simon Maxwell, Dhana Gilbert, Colin Wilson, and Marc Resteghini serve as executive producers with Parkhill. Harriet Creelman is co-executive producer.

Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, had this to say: “This exciting, new chapter about one of the world’s best-known literary characters, will delight our global customers with its captivating storytelling. With the brilliant creative team, led by Guy Ritchie and Matthew Parkhill, we will explore untold mysteries of how young Sherlock found his way to a life of truth-seeking.“

What do you think of Hero Fiennes Tiffin being cast as Young Sherlock while Guy Ritchie takes the helm? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Oscar-nominated actress Sandra Hüller will co-star with Ryan Gosling in the upcoming space survival epic Project Hail Mary.

Is space ample enough to withstand the power of two of Hollywood’s brightest stars? We’re about to find out when Oscar-nominated actress Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) co-stars alongside Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy, Stay, Barbie) for the upcoming interstellar epic Project Hail Mary. The feature-length project hails from Amazon MGM Studios, with Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Aditya Sood producing.

Lord and Miller will direct Project Hail Mary from a script by Drew Goddard (The Martian, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Cabin in the Woods). The film will be shot in IMAX and released wide on March 20, 2026. It is based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name—that’s right, the same guy who wrote The Martian. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, the plot revolves around “a middle school science teacher, Ryland Grace (Gosling), who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He must figure out how to complete his interstellar mission to save Earth from an astronomical catastrophe completely alone, until he meets a mysterious alien who has traveled light years to save his own species from the same fate.”

Man, the science fiction genre has given me trust issues. My first thought is that this alien is doing its best to ensure humankind’s extinction. I hope I’m wrong, but like I said, trust issues.

German actress Sandra Hüller brought the house down with her show-stopping performance in last year’s Anatomy of a Fall, focusing on a woman suspected of murder after her husband’s death. In the intense drama, the woman’s half-blind son is her only salvation as the sole witness to the incident. Hüller brings the goods to the Justine Triet-directed thriller, starring Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, and Samuel Theis.

What do you think about Sandra Hüller joining Ryan Gosling for Project Hail Mary? What would you do if you woke up alone on a spacecraft floating in space? Would you succumb to space madness? Gather your wits and attempt to radio home. Find the nearest airlock and eject yourself into the void. I’d give an honest shot at survival until finally giving up the ghost and preparing myself for a leisurely spacewalk. Let us know how you’d react in the comments below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Don’t expect body horror as reviews for David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds paint the director’s latest as a somber exploration of grief.

David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and the reviews have begun to emerge. The film follows a businessman and grieving widower who invents a controversial technology known as Gravetech that allows families to see inside the graves of their loved ones as they decompose. Although known as the master of body horror, fans shouldn’t expect too much of that as Cronenberg’s latest is a much more personal film. The Shrouds is at least partly inspired by the death of his wife, Carolyn Cronenberg, in 2017.

THR‘s Leslie Felperin said, “This fetid stew of sex, death and tech may be an aphrodisiac for hardcore Cronenberg fans, but more casual viewers are likely to find it all rather slapdash and undercooked here. Cinematographer Douglas Koch’s lighting looks drabber than usual, and many of the scenes feel like the first or second take after a long day’s filming, thrown in the can so the production can move on. There’s little of the verve, wit or invention that make vintage Cronenberg still so evergreen, which renders this already melancholy work even sadder to watch.“

The Wrap‘s Steve Pond said, “At most Cannes Film Festivals, a new film by David Cronenberg might well be the creepiest, most shocking film in the lineup – particularly if it’s about cameras that allow people to see their loved ones decompose after death, as ‘The Shrouds’ is. But while ‘The Shrouds’ is strong stuff and contains images not for the squeamish, at this year’s festival, Cronenberg-style body horror has been delivered more robustly by the likes of Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance.” By contrast, ‘The Shrouds’ is restrained, even elegant. It’s a deeply personal look at loss that finds plenty of time to get creepy but never loses sight of the fact that it’s a movie about grief.“

Deadline‘s Stephanie Bunbury said, “[Cronenberg’s] customary flat style is energized here by the performances brought by actors new to his fleshy universe. Cassel, embodying the bereaved Karsh, seems to vibrate with emotions only just kept in check. Diane Kruger plays both his dead wife — always naked and sometimes partially dismembered in his tormented black-and-white dreams —  and her sister Terry, a zany dog-walker who corners him into having an affair with her.” However, Bunbury felt let down by the ending. “By the last half-hour of The Shrouds, these various plot threads (and many others, too many to mention) are whipping around dangerously like loose electric cables in a storm… Whatever else you may expect of Cronenberg as a distinctive auteur – wry humor, a measured pace, exultant wallowing in foul goo – you’re not expecting the narrative to explode into bits. That really is a new kind of ick.“

IndieWire‘s David Ehrlich said, “Between its paranoid scramble of a plot and a protagonist who becomes increasingly difficult to see as anything more than an avatar for its auteur, ‘The Shrouds’ lends itself to a sort of delayed appreciation; its story only makes sense with the detached perspective that might begin to develop in the time between the death of a loved one and the funeral service at which they’re laid to rest.“.”

ScreenDaily‘s Fionnuala Halligan said, “The Shrouds, David Cronenberg’s seventh film to compete at Cannes, certainly boasts a terrific premise. But it is indeed a day to grieve when the most shocking thing about a David Cronenberg film is how dull it is.“

Although The Shrouds is a personal film, David Cronenberg didn’t necessarily view it as part of his grieving process following the death of his wife. “Whether you’re rehashing something from your distant past or your present circumstances, there’s always creative energy that can be mined from your life,” the director told Variety. “But grief is forever, as far as I’m concerned. It doesn’t go away. You can have some distance from it, but I didn’t experience any catharsis making the movie.“

The Shrouds stars Vincent Cassel as Karsh, “an innovative businessman and grieving widower, who builds a novel device to connect with the dead inside a burial shroud. This burial tool installed at his own state-of-the-art though controversial cemetery allows him and his clients to watch their specific departed loved one decompose in real time. Karsh’s revolutionary business is on the verge of breaking into the international mainstream when several graves within his cemetery are vandalized and nearly destroyed, including that of his wife. While he struggles to uncover a clear motive for the attack, the mystery of who wrought this havoc, and why, drive him to reevaluate his business, marriage and fidelity to his late wife’s memory, as well as push him to new beginnings.“