If Hollywood had its Way
Shut In
If Hollywood had its way we’d have a dog movie, but we have something better. The film Shut In is currently streaming on The Daily Wire. The movie stars Rainey Qualley as young mother Jessica Nash, Jake Horowitz plays her drug-addicted boyfriend, Rob, and Vincent Gallo is a very creepy Sammy. The film is directed by D.J. Caruso. It’s rated R and earns that rating for violence, drug use, and language. Click here for a detailed examination of the film’s rating.
People might expect movies produced by conservatives to have a bland story, stiff acting with a heavy dose of pandering. Shut In has none of those issues. It’s not a perfect movie, it has a slow start but it really picks up, and along the way, it has a lot of surprises.
The story is about Jessica Nash, as she packs to move to Texas to find work, escape from her life of addiction, and break free from her relationship with Rob. She’s finally ready to leave for this better future when Rob returns with creepy acquaintance, Sammy. Rob is also the father of her two children and he wants Jessica and the kids back. Jessica is not interested as long as he is using drugs. This tension spirals into a fight and Rob locks her in the pantry with a bag of methamphetamine hoping she’ll relapse. Both men leave the house, abandoning the children, and leaving Jessica trapped in the pantry. She tries to keep her baby and toddler safe by giving instructions to the eldest child through the locked door. This first act may have been slow, but the tension grows from here.
As a chemical dependency counselor, I can say that Shut In gets a lot about addiction right. I have counseled addicts similar to the three shown in this movie. Crazy violent pedophile, check. A scummy loser who picks bad people to hang around with and is only concerned for himself, check. A mother who is trying to turn her life around, check. I’ve seen all of them.
Before we continue with the review, it’s important to note that this movie is being produced by the Daily Wire. That is in part thanks to the stupidity of Hollywood. When producers heard that a drug addict was to be the main villain they suggested he be replaced by a rabid dog. That would’ve destroyed the movie's core message. Jessica isn’t simply protecting her two small children; she is fighting her own demons of addiction, hopelessness, and self-doubt, personified by the main villain, Sammy. Even a rabid dog would not be as evil.
This duality gives the movie a strong moral core as the protagonist looks to God in her trials. The tension is organic as Jessica is in a rather hopeless situation. Religion is an important element of the movie as it is during addiction recovery. Faith is handled well. Many individuals in recovery turn to faith or some program with a strong spiritual center.
Overall, Shut In does a good job of knowing what it needs to be and executing a tight thriller in about 90 minutes. While the movie isn’t for everyone, adult subscribers to the Daily Wire, or those thinking of doing so, should check out Shut in.
