Under the Shadow (Zeer-e sāye) (2016)

Horror

Director: Babak Anvari
Writer: Babak Anvari
Starring: Arash Marandi, Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi

"Fear will find you."

Set during the Iraq-Iran "War of the Cities" conflict in the 1980s, Under the Shadow follows a woman living in an apartment building in Tehran with her troubled young daughter. Her husband, a respected doctor, is dispatched to the front, and she is left to fend for herself and her daughter, living under constant threat of aerial bombardment. After an unexploded missile pierces a wall of their building prompting their neighbors to flee one by one, something that appears to be an evil presence begins to haunt their home.

Pretty nerve-wracking and artfully atmospheric, the debut feature of Iranian film director Babak Anvari is another one of those scary films that rely more on the fear of the unknown and unseen than on the traditional gore and monsters. An effective and resourceful low-budget film, it's also different not only due to the country which it is based in, but also from the undertones of feminism which permeate throughout the film.

Plot summary from IMDb: As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home.

Awards: Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 12 wins & 10 nominations.
Runtime: 84 min
PG-13