Shook Review + Trailer On Shudder Streaming

Shook is the newest social media thriller movie for 2021. The film, from Squid Farm Productions, premieres on the horror platform Shudder on February 18th in the US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Shook takes a well-worn route with its storyline. It tests one woman, Mia’s ability to go through a series of punishments in exchange for loved ones’ lives. Set against a backdrop of social media influencers, Mia becomes the target of one enthusiastic psychopath. Alone in a house run by Alexa technology, Mia is charged with babysitting her sister’s dog. Her friends, all-out partying each try to prise her from her responsibilities and come out to party.

Of course, what online chat group would be incomplete without an anonymous nutcase set to begin an online terror campaign?. This puppet master comes in the form of a voice on the phone saying he lives across the road and sees everything she is doing. The voice then gives her plenty of evidence as to the likelihood of her friends and family being awarded a grisly death if she doesn’t choose between them or follow instructions. Or if she doesn’t choose between them and the dog. Or if she doesn’t choose between her sister and her friends. Mia has lots of choices to make.

Shook Will Try and Shake You

All of this sounds like an entertaining 89-minutes, right? It’s certainly a film that Mother of Movies was keen to see from writer-director Jennifer Harrington. Unfortunately, I found myself caring less when Mia’s clique of social media influencers begin turning up dead. There were some tentative moments of wondering how the little dog Mia was minding was going to fare, but between that, the incessant phone calls, and wandering around the house begging Alexa to turn lights back on, it really just became an underwhelming numbers game.

As Mia made her decisions and a few plot twists were added to the mix, things became an unbelievable concoction of events. Horror tropes galore and a lack of interesting characters really didn’t give me anything to invest in. Without revealing the final quarter of the film’s big reveal, the inconsistencies and added fuel of the capabilities of the killer made it all a little silly instead of emotionally tense.

But still, fans of horror movies where punishment is procured in a Saw franchise kind of way, will probably find enjoyment in some of the more brutal tests Mia is eventually made to do. Even then though, the question of whether any of her friends live despite her completion these eye wincing trials is anyone’s guess.

I give Shook

2.5 find out if the dog dies in the spoiler section below out of 5

Shook Where to Watch and Cast

• Starring Daisye Tutor (Guest House), Emily Goss (Snapshots), Nicola Posener (The Bold and the Beautiful). And also Octavius J. Johnson (Sleepless), Stephanie Simbari (Here and Now), Grant Rosenmeyer (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and real-life make-up and social media influencer Genelle Seldon.
• Shook feature tracks Johnny Jewel’s cult hit bands Chromatics, Symmetry, and Glass Candy. 
• You can also watch Shook via the Shudder within the AMC+ bundle where available.

Shook Red-Band Trailer, Watch the Movie On Shudder

• More horror movies like Shook: Follow Me aka No Escape / Head Count / Triggered 2020
• Horror Movies on Shudder: Creepshow Holiday Special / Random Acts of Violence