Review: "The Shade" (2023)

The Shade, directed by Tyler Chipman, tells the story of a twenty-year-old who is finding it hard to keep his family together after the traumatic death of his father. Ryan juggles trying to have a normal social life while taking care of his little brother when his mother is working. Ryan also suffers from anxiety which he fights to keep in check. When his older brother Jason comes home for a surprise visit mid semester, things get more complicated. Jason seems to be in a very dark place mentally. While Ryan tries to understand what is going on with Jason, he starts seeing a grotesque figure in the shadows that appears to be stalking him. Ryan soon finds himself trying to protect his younger brother from this creature - but is the creature real or is there something deeper and scarier going on?

The Shade is an unnerving slow burn horror film that doesn’t go for the immediate scares. It is more atmospheric in its horror, building the tension like a slow descent into madness. The figure Ryan sees stays in the shadows or dimly lit hallways for most part, there only a couple of moments where we see it in all its grotesque glory, and it is disturbing. The creature is there for more than just shock value, it is a representation of the mental illness that runs in the family. When Jason arrives at home, depression seems to have already overtaken him. While it is not directly addressed, you get the idea that he has already been having visions of this creature. Then Ryan starts to see the creature and we can see his behavior start to change, though he seems to be fighting it better than his older brother. His youngest brother James seems to be the one least affected by everything that is going on. It was interesting to see these three different stages. All of them are conveyed effectively by the performance of our lead.

Chris Galust is fantastic as Ryan. You feel his struggles as he tries to juggle all the different aspects of being a twenty-something while also managing the household. His anxiety attacks were not over acted and the various emotions he goes through felt authentic. Jason is played by Dylan McTee who also puts in a very grounded performance. You can tell he is fighting his inner feelings of depression and grief. There is something going on underneath the surface that he is reluctant to tell anyone about. Instead, it begins to overtake him. Sam Duncan does a great job as James. He seemed like a normal kid who cares for his older brothers and has a hard time understanding what is going on with them. The dynamic between these three made it seem like they were true brothers. Their relationship is the real heart of the story.

There are not a lot of special effects in The Shade, but the effects used are very effective. I loved the makeup on the creature. It is a very shocking image when we get the full reveal. The lightning used added to the characters overall scariness and it will definitely make your skin crawl. There are a number of other mysterious figures that show up that look like dark priests. The design of their look made them very foreboding. They show up sparingly, which I appreciated.  

Mental Illness is not something new to horror. The Shade manages to present it in a unique way.There were a few surprises and its final image scene is definitely one I won’t forget anytime soon. While it leans a little more into the drama aspect than the horror, there are still plenty of hair raising moments. Add to that a solid, talented cast, and I think it is worth a watch.