“Dreadful.” It’s one of those words that has been simplified over time from an evocative expression into a thoroughly overused adjective. And yet “dreadful” in its original form is the most accurate description of Jeff Nichols’ tense, beautifully constructed and deeply unsettling examination of family, mental illness and, yes, the devastating, unshakeable effects of dread.
Leading man Michael Shannon proved a disconcerting but spellbinding presence in Revolutionary Road, and yet again he plays a disturbed man determined to say what no-one wants to hear. Curtis LaForche (Shannon) is a quiet, unassuming blue-collar worker living a simple but idyllic life with his beautiful wife (Jessica Chastain) and adoring daughter. But when Curtis begins having disturbing dreams about an impending storm, it’s unclear whether his visions are religious prophecies, manifestations of general anxiety or the first symptoms of the paranoid schizophrenia that plagued his mother.
Through a combination of Nichols’ innate understanding of tension and Shannon’s powerhouse performance, the horrifying isolation of mental illness is perfectly captured. Though Curtis’ visions are explicitly terrifying, featuring rabid dogs, car crashes and knife attacks, the truly troubling element is how Curtis’ life begins to disintegrate, despite his noble intentions. His alpha male desire to protect his family by building a storm shelter is always sympathetic – but so is his wife’s fear of her husband’s increasingly erratic behaviour.
The slow-burning tale gives the audience ample time to both understand the characters and immerse themselves in Curtis’ fear. And though not subtle, Nichols’ coupling of the unstoppable force of nature and the uncontrollable temperament of mental illness is incredibly effective. As Curtis’ relationships begin to fall apart and he retreats both literally and figuratively into his protective, isolating cocoon, the weather provides a relentless, almost unbearable sense of impending disaster forever lurking on the horizon.
In a year set to shoot both Chastain and Shannon to stardom, their sensitive, moving performances add another beautiful element to this unique and haunting movie that overflows with intelligence, and dread.