- The Iran-Iraq War
is thought to be the longest conventional war of the twentieth century, lasting from 1980 to 1988.Throughout the conflict, Iran underwent rapid international, political, and cultural transition: a legacy of the bloody 1979 Iranian Revolution.Towards the end of the decade, Iraq launched a series of strategic bombings on Iranian cities.Iran retaliated in the same way.Lives were plunged into darkness where fear and anxiety thrived.
Under The Shadow is a British Iranian Jordan Qatar Thriller Drama Psychological Horror movie by Babak Anvari.
Shideh (Narges Rashidi) is a woman living in an apartment building in Tehran with her daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi), and her husband Iraj (Bobby Naderi) during the War of the Cities in the Iran-Iraq War in The '80s. One day, Iraj is drafted into duty in the war, having to leave his family to go right into the heart of the conflict.
After Iraj leaves, Dorsa starts behaving strangely. She keeps talking about djinn as if they were real, she seems to have misplaced her doll Kimia, and she seems to be running a fever. All this, plus the constant stress of living in a warzone, is really putting a strain on Shideh. Of course, as time goes on, Shideh starts to wonder if Dorsa might be onto something.
The movie was released on January 22nd, 2016.
Under The Shadow contains examples of:
- The '80s: The movie is set during the Iran-Iraq war, which is stated on a radio broadcast to be "ongoing".
- Battering Ram: At the end of the movie, Shideh uses her car to bash through the apartment garage door to get as far from away from the djinn as she and Dorsa can.
- Bedsheet Ghost: Late in the movie, the djinn start appearing as a floating chador, which creates this image.
- By the Hair: While in a tussle with the djinn under some bedsheets, a hand grabs Shideh by the hair and pulls a chunk of it out.
- Conscription: Iraj gets drafted into service early in the movie, and is placed right in the most dangerous combat zone. He manages to survive, though, because he call Shideh a few times over the course of the movie.
- Corporal Punishment: Late in the movie, when Dorsa mentions the invisible lade she's been talking to once too much, Shideh slaps her.
- CPR: Clean, Pretty, Reliable: After an unexploded bomb is dropped in one of the apartments, Shideh is called into give CPR to an old man who was in the apartment when the bomb crashed through the ceiling in front of him. She is unable to save his life, though.
- Creepy Child: Mehdi. He's described as creepy by one of Shideh's neighbours, and when we see him, he doesn't talk much and just... stares.
- The Dreaded Pretend Tea-Party: At one point in the movie, Shideh and Dorsca are partaking in one in Dorsa's room.
- Hell Is That Noise: In-Universe, the deep air raid sirens and/or the sound of explosions outside, which alerts the people living in the apartment to get into a dark room that's (presumably) save from attack.
- Jumpscare: At one point, while Shideh is taping up her window one night, a hand bursts through it and grabs her by the throat, causing her to scream. It immediately jolts to her waking up in bed.
- Missing Mom: Shideh's mother is stated to have died six months prior to the events of the movie. Iraj questions if Shideh wants to resume her medical studies because it's what her mom wanted of her.
- Whoosh in Front of the Camera: Late in the movie, Shideh hears a knock at her front door. When she looks through the peephole, she just sees the stairs outside. Then something moves in front of the camera.
