Shiva Baby Analysis

Shiva Baby (2021)

Written and Directed by: Emma Seligman

It's a one-location film, where a young girl attends a funeral and meets people who she is romantically involved with there - amidst the judgmental and prying relatives. This film has a very interesting tonality that they arrived at, it's almost like a psychological horror film at times, but it's also a coming-of-age young adult film. I like these tones that films achieve where they mix two totally contrasting genres. My issue with the film was that it was mostly exploring her sexuality, and her affair with the guy - it could've been more than that. A large chunk of the film is about them covering up the affair, and it's funny and the writing is witty - but after a point, these scenes lose a sense of purpose. The film could've explored more facets of her life. It explores career, a sense of self worth, but I felt it could've explored friendship, passion, and finding a sense of purpose too.

The dialogue is witty, especially the way where multiple characters with different motivations talk at the same time - shot with tight closes - it creates a sense of claustrophobia - also the music and sounds like babies crying in the background. Everything comes together to create a very unsettling vibe - saying that the world is like that today to young adults. Even the last scene, where everybody adjusts and fits into the van.