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SHUT IN

What You Need To Know:

SHUT IN, a psychological horror movie, opens with Mary’s stepson, Stephen, being driven by his father to a school for children with behavioral problems. Stephen looks demonically angry and causes an accident that kills his father. Six months later, Mary cares for a supposedly paralyzed and comatose Stephen at their home. He’s fed and bathed with no response. When one of Mary’s other patients disappears, someone starts stalking their house, with the intent of trying to kill her.

SHUT IN is little more than an excuse to make creaking sounds, open doors to dark rooms, play creepy music and make viewers wonder what’s going to pop out next. It has a scene of partial nudity and some foul language. Some violence finally does occur. The worldview is basically a humanist one. God is only mentioned in moments of surprise, and problems are to be dealt with using drugs and psychological treatment. There’s nothing really redemptive or inspiring about SHUT IN, which relies on unimaginative horror movie techniques. It presents a depressing picture of modern, selfish psychopathic children. Media-wise viewers will avoid SHUT IN.

Content:

(HH, LL, VV, S, NN, A, DD, M) A basically humanist worldview where God is only mentioned in moments of surprise and problems are to be dealt with using drugs and psychological treatment; Six obscenities and four uses of God or Jesus when surprised, vomiting; strong violence includes man stabbed to death, man killed with a hammer, another found dead, attempted drowning, woman gagged and bound, boy gagged and bound, attempted violence, near constant threat of violence; implication of sexual interest in stepmother; side view partial female nudity, and a bathtub scene of boy; tub scene of woman; brief alcohol use; woman drugged without her knowledge and woman has hallucinogenic dreams; and, rebellious dysfunctional youth causes automobile accident and disturbed boy misleads elders to get his way.

More Detail:

SHUT IN is a movie made to boost adrenalin levels using music, lighting and camera angles to generate the maximum level of fear. It’s like taking drugs without actually taking drugs and should be avoided by anyone seeking uplifting entertainment.

SHUT IN opens with Mary’s stepson, Stephen, being driven by his father to a school for problematic children. Stephen looks demonically angry and causes an accident that kills his father. Skipping six months, Mary cares for Stephen at their home. He is quadriplegic and virtually a vegetable. He’s fed and bathed with no apparent response. Each day he’s wheeled into position in front of a large screen for hours and hours of news broadcasts.

Mary works from her house as a clinical psychologist attempting to help difficult children. One boy, Tom, is about to be sent away, but escapes and shows up that night at her house. Before he can be picked up, he disappears.

From this point on, the movie is little more than an excuse to make creaking sounds, open doors to dark rooms, play creepy music, and make viewers wonder what’s going to pop out at them next and cause the music to spike suddenly. As with so many similar movies, any sane person wonders why the victim chooses to say in such a house to be tormented night after night. The answer of course is because there are some moviegoers willing to pay money merely to see doors open to dark rooms and hear creepy music.

SHUT IN has a scene of side-view female nudity (not sexual), and there are a few bad words. Some violence finally does occur. The worldview is basically a humanist one. God is only mentioned in moments of surprise, and problems are to be dealt with using drugs and psychological treatment. There’s nothing really redemptive about SHUT IN. It presents a depressing picture of modern, selfish psychopathic children. There’s probably a lesson in that, considering the state of our families and our education system, but then again, maybe not.

Many great movies raise your adrenalin levels, but they do so in the process of telling an exciting, redemptive story. You leave the theater feeling inspired rather than just relieved. As MOVIEGUIDE® Founder and Publisher Dr. Ted Baehr loves to say, “Great movies have a great story, well told, with a positive worldview, and are spiritually uplifting or inspiring.” SHUT IN strikes out on all three.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.