REVIEW: Shut In (2022)

Movie Reviews

The Daily Wire’s first original movie, Shut In, was released on Thursday, and it’s a pretty big deal. It’s one of a very small number of films that are being released outside of mainstream Hollywood. Now, while that may be a cause for concern (see any SyFy channel movie ever), Daily Wire is smart, and they know their audience is looking for films of quality that can compare with the high-budget Hollywood ones without all the projection and politics behind them. Something that doesn’t look or feel cheap with a good storyline and no unnecessary preaching about outside events that don’t fit into the plot.

And Shut In delivers. I went into this movie both very excited and a little nervous, if I’m being honest. A lot of times, movies like this tend to fall under the “B-movie” label, with bad CGI, cheesy lines, and terrible actors. Fortunately, Shut In does not fit any of those criticisms. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was, and I can’t wait to watch their future projects.

Shut In’s story follows Jessica (Rainey Qualley), a young single mom of two small kids,  as she prepares her Nana’s house to be sold following her death. Soon, she is barricaded inside a pantry by her violent, drug-addled ex-boyfriend and must find a way not only to escape but to protect her children from the escalating danger.

Shut In is advertised as a horror movie, but to me, it’s more of a thriller, even a psychological thriller. There’s a great religious underpinning to this movie as well, as we follow Jessica through temptation, redemption, and rebirth. The actors are all relatively unknown, but they are great, which is another thing that pleasantly surprised me. Good actors in smaller films like this tend to be up-and-coming, without much practice, and it can affect the movie. Rainey Qualley is fantastic as the lead, Jessica, a recovering drug addict struggling to raise two small children on her own while also not falling back into her old ways. Rainey’s acting makes her completely believable. In her struggle to stay sober for her kids, we meet her ex-boyfriend Rob, played by Jake Horowitz, a completely unlikable guy who’s trying to get his family back in the worst ways possible. Our third major player in this story is Sammy, played by Vincent Gallo, and the dislike you have for Rob is immediately doubled when you meet Sammy. He’s Rob’s enabler and partner-in-crime, and quickly shows himself to be the real danger for Jessica and her girls in a harrowing reveal about his past. Vincent Gallo is fantastic in this role; he’s a truly realistic villain that is easily believable and even someone many people have crossed paths with at some point in their lives. All three actors do an incredible job, and I can’t wait to see more from each of them. I hope The Daily Wire works with them again.

The direction and editing of this film are also really good. D.J. Caruso is the film’s director, and he’s no newbie to the craft; he’s the mastermind behind Taking Lives and Disturbia and also directed several episodes of The Shield during its run. D.J. has a unique style that works well with a film like this; it reminds me of how Disturbia was shot and edited. The camera angles and quick shots to increase the tension were perfect for Shut In’s tone. I’m glad a fairly well-known Hollywood director was willing to take the risk and work on a project like this, and I hope we get to see him do more in this vein.

Shut In’s purpose is to show actors and viewers that there’s an alternative to mainstream Hollywood, that it can be just as good if given the chance, and it succeeds at that. There’s no unnecessary preaching or politics in this film, just a good story with good actors bringing it to life. Judging by the initial viewer reactions and its high ratings, that’s all moviegoers have been wanting, and they’re willing to support it fully. Kudos to everyone involved. The Daily Wire has several upcoming projects, including Gina Carano’s Terror on the Prairie, and after how well this film was made, I will definitely be watching all of them.

Shut In is available now on The Daily Wire’s website with a subscription.