Shiva Baby (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Sunday, April 04

NR Running Time: 77 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • Shiva Baby is brilliantly written, performed, and writer/director Emma Seligman has made one of the best films of the year.

  • Important and notable in the representation shared on-screen and within the storytelling. This feels pure and honest from start-to-finish.

  • Exceptional writing is key, but some fantastic cinematography and a tremendous score from Ariel Marx, has Shiva Baby excel with craftsmanship you do not normally expect to see in a smaller-scale film like this one.

NO

  • Some have complained that the film leans in too far on Jewish stereotypes.

  • If you do not find Danielle an engaging, interesting character, Shiva Baby, even at just 77 minutes, is probably not going to be a movie you appreciate all that much.

  • One complaint among the few who have panned the film, are that it is little more than a series of set-ups to artificially ratchet up anxiety.


OUR REVIEW

If I described Emma Seligman’s brilliant Shiva Baby as a tense, suspenseful film where a young woman’s past and present appears in front of her while attending a funeral - a family shiva - you may get the sense that the film is something of a dramatic thriller. When you hear Ariel Marx’s string-scorched score, reminiscent of recent horror films, the mind may begin to formulate a scenario where a dizzying world of chaos envelopes a soon-to-be college graduate named Danielle (Rachel Sennott).

While all these elements exist, and the film creates strong emotion and palpable stress to push us through Danielle’s chalkboard-scratch of an afternoon, now envision it as a deeply cynical comedy. The kind with rapid-fire dialogue and razor-sharp wit, compounding a suffocation Danielle experiences the longer she attends the ceremony. Did I mention she has no idea who has even died?

This unsettling day in the life of an equally unsettled 20-something is a rollercoaster ride of comedy, anxiety, and tension, steered expertly well by Seligman, expanding on her 2018 short film of the same name.

Seligman’s screenplay, bringing important and necessary representation to the big screen, is a refreshingly wild journey. Danielle is not just uncomfortable and uneasy at the shiva; she is uncomfortable and uneasy because her childhood best friend and ex-girlfriend Maya (Molly Gordon) will be there. And Maya’s parents. And friends of Danielle’s parents. And Danielle’s parents prove extremely concerned that their daughter may look bad without a plan for a post-graduation life. Mother Debbie (Polly Draper) is insistent on creating a narrative to share with attendees, while father Joel (Fred Melamed) is forgetful and neither seem to afraid to offer “helpful” critiques of Danielle’s life choices.

Maya, as Danielle observes, seems to be holding things together just fine. Meanwhie, Danielle has uncomfortable interactions time and again within the modest home where much of the film will largely take place. People are everywhere, seemingly on top of each other, and Maria Rusche’s cinematography makes us tense up in Danielle’s claustrophobic environment. Expectations are heightened, everyone wants to know about her apparent weight loss, current and future job prospects, and Danielle’s ability to say anything (lies, half-truths, or amiable nods and agreements) only makes things more complicated the longer she stays.

Just when Danielle thinks she can get through the shiva, and handle seeing Maya again, she swings around to see Max (Danny Deferrari) arrive. Max’s wife (Dianna Agron) and their 18-month-old daughter follow right behind him. The problem? Max is Danielle’s “sugar daddy” and the two hooked up right before they unknowingly attended the same shiva.

Under different hands, Shiva Baby might go off the rails with Max’s arrival. Seligman finds ample time to develop three-dimensional characters, as the walls seemingly begin to close in on Danielle moment-by-moment. By the time Danielle and Max find a time to speak – we know details about Max’s life, determine how they can secretly have their trysts and also understand the back story around Danielle and Maya, and the pressure Danielle’s parents feel in making sure that Danielle is set up for great success after college.

Quite a lot may happen within these compact, efficient 77 minutes, but by the time one character suffers a complete breakdown, we feel a connection to this family and become completely invested in Danielle’s efforts to survive this most complicated of days.

Though raunchy at times, the film feels significant in the way it represents the Jewish community on screen. Seligman’s sex-positive messaging should also be celebrated for never judging or demonizing Danielle’s decisions on whom she loves and why.

Sennott’s performance, where Danielle has to try and be all things to everyone she meets is quite impressive, as is Gordon’s supporting turn as the still-interested, forever supportive best friend/former girlfriend. Even with her share of missteps and occasional poor decisions, Danielle’s biggest strength may be her devout resistance to becoming what others want her to be.

As the film carries us through continual moments of shock, awe, and stressful and unpredictable moments, we want nothing more for Danielle to escape. Maybe she can find the right phrase to utter out loud, or the right situation to free her from the suffocation she is experiencing. Even when the film’s impressively tight structure unravels a bit in the last act, Shiva Baby remains an absolute joy to experience, and stands proud as one of 2021’s best films.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Polly Draper, Danny Deferrari, Fred Melamed, Dianna Agron, Jackie Hoffman, Deborah Offner, Cilda Shaur

Director: Emma Seligman
Written by: Emma Seligman
Adapted from the short film, “Shiva Baby”, written and directed by Emma Seligman
Release Date: April 2, 2021
Utopia