Shirley (2020)

Director: Josephine Decker

Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Odessa Young, Michael Stuhlbarg
Runtime: 107 minutes

Synopsis: A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.

Performances: 7/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 5/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10

Verdict: Whenever I'm done watching a biopic or a film inspired by real events, the first thing I ask myself is whether the watch was worth it or if I would have rathered read the Wikipedia article on the same subject. In "Shirley"'s case, I would've sadly opted for the second option.

The story of Shirley Jackson's search for inspiration for a new book as her husband takes in a couple to help her with household chores is not bad. But it's not good either. It's pretty much exactly what you expected it to be when you read the synopsis, and that's its biggest issue. No risks were taken to make it as thrilling as it tries to be, and it ended up being more boring than anything else. And that's frustrating because the potential was there and the story is a pretty interesting one that explores productivity, sexuality, and inspiration. The performances were all pretty good, with Moss further confirming that she's one of the best actresses working today, but the chemistry between the parties was a little lacking. I had a difficult time buying the tension, positive or negative, shared between the protagonists and that made the watch even duller than what the script makes it out to be.

Other than the fact that she wrote "The Haunting of Hill House", I didn't know much about Shirley Jackson so I can at least say that the movie offered a glimpse of her complex personality. Enough reason to justify spending a little less than 2 hours on it? I'll let you be the judge of it, but I didn't think so.

FINAL GRADE: 5/10