Key Takeaways
- Plot Overview: The film follows Samantha Lake, an actress who becomes entangled in the world of wellness, revealing dark truths.
- Critical Review: While the film presents an intriguing concept, it struggles with execution and depth.
- Character Development: Supporting characters are underutilized, leaving the narrative feeling incomplete.
- Release Information: Shell is set to release in select theatres and on digital platforms on October 3, 2025.
PLOT: Desperate to reclaim her career, once-beloved actress Samantha Lake is drawn into the glamorous world of wellness mogul Zoe Shannon —only to uncover a monstrous truth beneath its flawless surface.
REVIEW: Beauty standards are always ripe for dissection, especially within Hollywood and even more so within the thriller genre. The lengths people go to stay young or at least appear youthful seem endless. Shell explores the darker side of the pursuit of youthfulness. Unfortunately, it fails to develop beyond its initial concept.
Set in the near future, Shell follows Samantha Lake (Moss) as she succumbs to a wellness method that has darker implications than initially suggested after facing numerous career setbacks. Kate Hudson plays Zoe Shannon, the wellness mogul at the center of it all, who harbors a twisted secret. I expected her character to be more villainous and engaging, but she mostly portrays herself with a dark edge. This could be said for most of the film: intriguing at first but faltering in execution.
Elisabeth Moss is shot in an unflattering manner in the first act, accentuating how everyone in her life overlooks her. She’s awkwardly framed in some shots, which reinforces this point. However, the biggest issue with the film is that despite her treatments, she doesn’t appear significantly different as it progresses. There’s no “glow-up”; she is simply treated better by society once we learn she has begun taking the treatment. This undermines the film’s intended message. The supporting cast adds life to this world but seems to fade away after the first act. Dustin Milligan excels as the shallow guy Samantha dates, amplifying her insecurities. It’s a departure from his usual roles, yet he vanishes from the narrative despite potential for further development. Randall Park, Kaia Gerber, and Elizabeth Berkley also appear in minor roles but feel underutilized.
Shell marks Max Minghella’s second directorial effort, creating an appropriately vain dystopia. He clearly draws from his experiences with prominent directors and demonstrates visual command of the camera. However, I found his staging frustrating, with too many characters waiting around for something to happen. It seems he struggled to strike the necessary tone for the story as it plays out too seriously, especially during the absurd third act. Coincidence plays a significant role in the plot.
As an erotic thriller fan, this film doesn’t reach the heights of Basic Instinct or Fatal Attraction, but there is a noticeable increase in sexuality throughout the narrative. It might have benefited from even greater emphasis on this aspect. Shell features its fair share of casual nudity, which I appreciate seeing return to larger films. However, it clearly aspires to be like The Substance, without understanding what made that film successful. The monster element here feels silly and misguided, missing any potential messaging.
I won’t deny that Shell, like many of its characters, can be quite shallow in execution. The setup is intriguing but fails to explore deeper themes. As the film progresses, it becomes increasingly absurd. The comedy doesn’t land effectively and instead makes the world feel offbeat rather than genuinely humorous. The ending falls flat completely. While featuring strong performances, this film feels like merely a shell of what it could have been.
Shell is In Select Theatres & On Digital October 3, 2025
