Under the Shadow (2016)
Horror has always had a habit of finding its most unsettling footing when it roots itself in a very specific place and time. Under the Shadow, released in 2016, does exactly that, setting its supernatural premise inside a Tehran apartment block during the brutal, grinding years of the Iran-Iraq War (1980 to 1988), a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands and left deep psychological scars across an entire region. The film draws on the folklore of the Djinn, spirits that appear across Islamic and pre-Islamic traditions throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, weaving that mythology into the very domestic, very recognisable horror of a family trying to hold itself together under impossible pressure. It is the kind of premise that feels both culturally particular and universally readable, in the same way that Theeb used the Jordanian desert and its specific historical moment to tell a story that resonated well beyond its geography.
What makes the film's origins as notable as its content is the fact that it was shot entirely in Jordan, financed through a small consortium of British and regional producers including Wigwam Films and Creativity Capital, and made on what was by any measure a modest budget. Its director, Babak Anvari, was born in Iran but based in the UK, and Under the Shadow was his feature debut, arriving after a handful of well-regarded short films. That it earned a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding British Film, and became the UK's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, gave the project a profile rather larger than its production scale might have suggested. For a first feature in this territory, it is a polished but unremarkable-looking film that earns its reputation almost entirely through atmosphere and performance rather than spectacle. Anvari has since moved on to bigger productions, but this remains the work he is most closely associated with, and for good reason.
The film rests almost entirely on Narges Rashidi, an Iranian-German actress who had worked primarily in European television before this. Her performance as Shideh, a woman whose medical career has been derailed by the new regime and who is left largely alone with her young daughter as the bombs fall closer, carries the entire weight of the picture. Rashidi brings a grounded, frustrated energy to the role that keeps the supernatural elements feeling earned rather than arbitrary. Opposite her, child actress Avin Manshadi is genuinely impressive as the daughter Dorsa, managing the difficult task of playing fear and attachment simultaneously without tipping into the usual child-horror-film clichés. Bobby Naderi appears as the husband Iraj, a role that is relatively brief but important for establishing the domestic fault lines the film builds its tension around. Fans of films that treat folklore with the same seriousness as political or social pressure might also find some common ground with Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, which blends the spiritual and the everyday in its own distinctive register.
It’s not often you come across a horror film from the Middle East, and it’s even rarer to find one produced out of Jordan, so Babak Anvari’s 2016 film Under the Shadow immediately stood out to me. Set against the very real, terrifying backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War, it follows a small family living in a Tehran apartment building. When their home is struck by an Iraqi missile, the physical danger is bad enough, but they soon become convinced that the blast has unleashed a Djinn (a malevolent spirit from Middle Eastern folklore) into their flat.
I’ll be straight with you, the premise sounds corny, and it’s a proper slow burn but I'm glad I stuck with it. The first hour is largely dedicated to setting the scene, establishing the claustrophobic tension of living under constant threat of aerial bombardment, and exploring the marital strain between Shideh (played brilliantly by Narges Rashidi) and her husband. But once those first genuinely creepy supernatural elements start seeping in, the film shifts gears and becomes a surprisingly atmospheric and chilling tale. Anvari does a cracking job of blending the very real trauma of war with supernatural dread, and there’s a specific "bed scene" that genuinely caught me off guard and left me feeling incredibly unsettled.
It’s not a flawless film, though. Just as it reaches its climax, the narrative starts to fall down a little towards the end, losing some of that tight, suffocating tension it worked so hard to build. The resolution feels a bit messy and doesn't quite land with the terrifying punch you’d hope for after such a strong buildup. Still, it’s a genuinely decent piece of Middle Eastern horror that manages to carve out its own unique space in the genre. Under the Shadow is a solid, atmospheric watch that proves horror can thrive outside the usual Western tropes, even if it doesn't quite stick the landing in the final reel.
Under the Shadow sits in an interesting position in the broader landscape of horror cinema from outside the English-speaking world, a film that arrived at a moment when audiences were becoming more receptive to genre work from less familiar traditions, whether Iranian, Middle Eastern, or otherwise. Its reputation has grown steadily since release, and it is frequently cited as one of the stronger horror debuts of the 2010s. Whether it fully delivers on its early promise is, as the review above suggests, a matter of some debate. What it does unquestionably achieve is proof that a horror film can do serious, pointed work about history, gender, and political repression without abandoning the basic requirement of being genuinely frightening. If you are drawn to films that locate their dread in a specific cultural moment rather than the usual genre furniture, it is well worth your time. Just perhaps do not expect the ending to haunt you quite as long as the hour that precedes it.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2016 | Watched: 2026-06-15
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for Under the Shadow (2016) on YouTube
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
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