Shell

by Mike McGranaghan

You know celebrities like Samantha Lake. Portrayed by Elisabeth Moss in the horror-comedy Shell, she’s an actress who once appeared on a hit sitcom but had trouble finding decent work after it was cancelled. Now she’s stuck auditioning for roles that make her compete against much younger, hotter actresses like Chloe Benson (Kaia Gerber), whom she used to babysit. Humiliation has become part of the daily routine.

That’s why Sam decides to follow the guidance of wellness guru Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson) and enroll in Shell, her experimental beauty program that promises to halt aging. At first, things are amazing. Sam almost literally glows after going through the slightly disconcerting process. Her career even reignites. Then she starts developing weird, scaly growths on her body. The beauty treatment seems to be rapidly going the other direction. That, combined with fellow patient Chloe’s sudden disappearance, causes Sam to suspect that Zoe is not the benevolent figure she presents herself as.

Shell starts off a little slow but picks up significantly once Sam and Zoe meet. They initially develop a friendship, although before too long they turn into fierce adversaries. Moss and Hudson make a compelling onscreen duo. The former adeptly conveys the nagging insecurity that haunts Sam, as well as the anger that boils over once she realizes she’s been duped. The latter puts a nice, sinister spin on the chipper, life-is-swell façade beauty experts often put on for the public. They make the story’s many wild twists feel earned.

Wild is one apt descriptor. So is gruesome. Director Max Mingella lets us know what’s in store during the opening scene, in which another Shell customer agonizingly cuts massive tumor-like things off her body with a knife. (Elizabeth Berkeley is to this movie what Drew Barrymore was to Scream.) Mingella is careful never to tip over into the sort of excessive gore that might make the squeamish lose their lunch. You will, however, recoil at what happens to Sam and how her physician, Dr. Huber (Arian Moayed), treats her condition. A “fun kind of gross” vibe runs throughout the film.

If you’ve seen The Substance, it’s hard not to compare it to Shell. Both pictures cover the same general themes. This one even has its own equivalent to Monstro Elisasue. The similarities are entirely coincidental. Nevertheless, Coralie Fargeat’s Oscar-nominated body-horror feature is, to my mind at least, the definitive work on the subject. If you haven’t seen The Substance, Shell might seem more biting than it will for those who have.

Moss and Hudson make the movie worth seeing, as do the supporting players, including Peter MacNichol as the aged doctor behind the treatments and musician Este Haim as Sam’s personal assistant. With a solid cast, some pleasingly insane plot developments, and a healthy dose of dark humor, there’s plenty here to enjoy.

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