Take Shelter

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: September 30, 2011

7.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 247 Ratings

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User Reviews

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mokomukuOct 17, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a mostly well executed movie that is completely undone by its ending, which essentially turns the film into an offensive parody of mental illness. If the hook had been delivered as they emerged from the shelter, it would have worked. But after they spoke with the doctor it crossed the line.… Expand

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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jon44Oct 23, 2011

I wish I had read some of these user reviews before going to see the movie. Manipulative is the key criticism. The film-makers toy with viewer's emotions without grounding the plot in any real insights into human nature or interpersonal dynamics.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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ekolite82Jul 12, 2012

I am diagnosed with Bi-polar. I have been around many people with Schizophrenia and have talked with them about it. I have yet to meet anyone yet who has said they have the hallucinations that people have in these movies that try toI am diagnosed with Bi-polar. I have been around many people with Schizophrenia and have talked with them about it. I have yet to meet anyone yet who has said they have the hallucinations that people have in these movies that try to sympathize with people with mental illness. Even a Beautiful Mind, another train wreck of a movie that makes portrays mental illness symptoms in Hollywood form, a.k.a., a fairy tale. They don't exist. After watching this movie I am again insulted with the way this is all represented. Even the fighting with his friend is very phony. And no one possibly could get the ending of this movie cause it has an infinite amount of possibilities on what it could actually mean. I am glad I downloaded this movie and didn't waste my money renting it, or wasted a Netflix slot. As far as the acting, I didn't think that Michael Shannon's job was very difficult when I thought about it. He usually just has a blank face. Emotionless. Who couldn't do that? This is one of those movies that critic's like because it's a very different kind of movie. Maybe if they would have turned around and seen have the audience sleeping it would have altered there final scores. Only reason I gave it a 1 is because I did like a few of the camera shots. A few were memorable. But too movie as a movie whole. It isn't very memorable.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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MJTOct 23, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow is this movie overrated. There are some things to admire: the actors are all very good and the cinematography is outstanding. But, somehow it doesn't quite work. I'll point out one element that seems dishonest and safe: having the daughter be hearing-impaired means that the filmmaker doesn't have to really give her a point of view. That is dishonest because of course she has emotions. She just sits like a sweet little cherub (and she is adorable). But, she is given no room to react to the craziness around her. Kids have personalities too. Key scenes that show this: We get to see some of her spunk when she is feeding the dog some of her own breakfast in the opening scene...but later when her father gives the dog away we get no reaction from anyone--not even a mention of it! That shows me the filmmaker wasn't really interested in the real emotions of the family members. The whole film felt designed to get good reviews, but it felt very manipulative to me.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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bob13bobFeb 21, 2012

Not a disaster movie, just a depressing movie that doesn't make sense with no escapism factor. They tacked a cheesy ending on it because they knew no one would want to see this movie if it was honest about itself.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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philoOct 23, 2011

Please don't waste your time or money on this clunker. It would have made a nice 1 hour Twilight Zone episode, but nothing more or better than that. A groaner of an ending. ``YGHhhhhh - wish I stayed home

1 of 7 users found this helpful16

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shaunmedMar 6, 2012

slow and spiritless. the entire movie labors to reach the pinnacle ending which is anticlimactic. you will feel cheated.

1 of 10 users found this helpful19

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CriticalGregDec 4, 2011

This movie was so horrible it compelled me to join this site just so I could review it. Everyone better "take shelter" from this mess of a movie. In a theater of 20 people on a cold Sunday night, 10 people, including me, walked out withinThis movie was so horrible it compelled me to join this site just so I could review it. Everyone better "take shelter" from this mess of a movie. In a theater of 20 people on a cold Sunday night, 10 people, including me, walked out within the first hour. The entire first hour consisted of no plot development. Every 10 minutes this guy was having nightmares, and the only purpose of these dreams was apparently to scare the sh*t out of the audience. By the third nightmare, I was over it. Based on the spoilers I've read, apparently this crap just continues the entire length of the movie. It's a 15 minute plot spread out for what feels like an eternity. Clearly there must be someone in this movie --- either an actor, or someone behind the scenes --- who has a cult following, as it would be the only explanation as to why it has such high ratings on here. It was one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. If you want to see great acting and "cinematography", or whatever the hell else people are saying is so great about this movie, you'd be better off seeing a movie whose writing didn't suck. MESS!… Expand

1 of 18 users found this helpful117

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martinistripesMar 8, 2012

I really, really don't understand why this movie scored so highly with the critics. If I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be 'tedious'. It was like watching a reenactment of someone's uninteresting (although unfortunate) life,I really, really don't understand why this movie scored so highly with the critics. If I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be 'tedious'. It was like watching a reenactment of someone's uninteresting (although unfortunate) life, with a few interesting dreams thrown in. I was waiting for the movie to begin all the way through until it ended.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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Eboard802Mar 30, 2012

Most boring, slow paced movie I've stuck with hoping things would change, but alas - NOT. The broody thing got old fast and the mental illness vs. cosmic connection to nature of sorts just didn't work. Felt cheated for sticking through toMost boring, slow paced movie I've stuck with hoping things would change, but alas - NOT. The broody thing got old fast and the mental illness vs. cosmic connection to nature of sorts just didn't work. Felt cheated for sticking through to the end... and why would you want to go broke, lose job, etc. adding on to a perfectly adequate concrete storm cellar... oh yeah, do you think you would stand around exchanging I-told-you-so nods in the face of the events shaping up in the final scene? blah!… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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BroyaxJan 14, 2017

Dans le genre peu répandu du film "suis-je fou, Docteur ? enfermez-moi au cas où !" Take Shelter est très loin de K-Pax, l'un des rares exemples qui me viennent à l'esprit, lui-même non exempt de quelque défaut comme... la mollesse. Mais siDans le genre peu répandu du film "suis-je fou, Docteur ? enfermez-moi au cas où !" Take Shelter est très loin de K-Pax, l'un des rares exemples qui me viennent à l'esprit, lui-même non exempt de quelque défaut comme... la mollesse. Mais si K-Pax avait parfois sa léthargie, alors Take Shelter n'a même pas deux de tension : il est si lymphatique et si mou qu'on tombe comme une masse rien qu'à essayer de le regarder.

En vérité, Take Shelter n'inspire aucune tension, aucune réelle interrogation, aucun doute, aucune ambiguité : on dirait vraiment un film réalisé par un écolier, le petit gars qui rentre de l'école et raconte sa journée banale, comme toutes les journées d'ailleurs, et il reste là à raconter sa journée qui n'intéresse personne mais à laquelle les membres de la famille adressent une vague attention polie parce que le gamin raconte toujours les mêmes conneries tous les jours.

Ce réalisateur est donc comme ce môme qui se regarde le nombril et raconte ses conneries, espérant capter l'attention sauf que tout le monde s'en fout de ses conneries. Putain, va te mettre dans ton abri, va pas t'y mettre, crie au loup, ne crie pas au loup, on s'en branle. Du coup, même la présence de la rouquine Chastain ne parvient pas à combler ce remplissage psychoteux plat et amorphe qui dure deux interminables heures. Echec complet.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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