This is true forTyler Chipman’sindependent, feature debut,The Shade.
The Shadefollows Ryan Beckman (Chris Galust),a college student grieving thesuicide of his father, Randy.
Besides a few almost/suggested instances, the entity never physically assaults or harms anyone directly.
Image via Red King Films
Instead, it stalks people in the darkest corners of their minds until they end their own lives.
The cold open even shows how Ryan was present when Randy shot himself.
This damage builds until said victims are weakened to the point of ending their own lives.
Image via Red King Cinema
“I know you’re not afraid of a little dark.”
The creature operates in the same ways astrauma, grief, and mental health deterioration.
When Randy kills himself, his demons are passed onto his children.
The monster crawls on all fours, moving quickly and almost spider-like in the shadows.
It creates a serious sense of a lack of safety.
The creature could be on-screen at any time, at any point, given its sneaky, shadowy nature.
Image via Red King Cinema
The thing isalso a physically unpleasant being.
It has a wide, sharp-toothed grin, long hair, and pale, smooth skin.
It feels like a thing of folklore, yet is given relatively little lore to back it up.
This actually adds both to the deeper subtexts, as well as the genuine terror of the film.
The Shadeis available to rent or buy on Amazon.
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