Under the Shadow

Creepiness abounds when a mother living in Tehran in 1988 struggles both with isolation and her daughter, who begins to see visions of an evil spirit. Director Babak Anvari's unusually intricate psychological horror relies more on well-written drama than it does jolts and jump scares. It's an investigation of a young woman's psyche, both in terms of her seclusion and the oppression of the society in which she tries to exist at the time of the Iran-Iraq War. However, it's also a creepy, unnerving tale that works with the serious elements to create something much more refined than a simple haunted-house story. Much of the cohesion between the scary and sobering is down to lead Narges Rashidi's performance, which is empathetic and powerful. The pace is maintained right up to the gripping conclusion, which leaves some questions tantalisingly unanswered. A real treat for those who love horror with a brain, this proves there's a lot more to say in such an often overcrowded genre.