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Shirley

R Released Jun 5, 2020 1h 47m Drama Mystery & Thriller TRAILER for Shirley: Trailer 1 List
88% Tomatometer 263 Reviews 54% Audience Score 250+ Ratings
A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple. Read More Read Less
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Shirley

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Critics Consensus

Elevated by outstanding work from Elisabeth Moss, Shirley pays tribute to its subject's pioneering legacy with a biopic that ignores the commonly accepted boundaries of the form.

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Critics Reviews

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Charles Bramesco Inside Hook Shirley Jackson's life is adapted to a movie that's as complicated and interesting as the author's writing. Sep 21, 2021 Full Review Nick Schager Esquire Magazine Despair, desire, and madness are all entangled in Josephine Decker's Shirley... Jan 27, 2021 Full Review Becca James Chicago Reader A look at the very morose Shirley Jackson (Elisabeth Moss), presented in a way that mimics the famed fiction author's horror writing... Dec 30, 2020 Full Review Amy Smith InSession Film When a director makes a bold choice to tell the story of an icon in a different way, I always appreciate it. I am done with the traditional bio-pics. I want refreshing spins on them, and this is one of them. Rated: B Feb 29, 2024 Full Review Greg Carlson Vague Visages A vivid reminder of an unrealized future... Feb 7, 2024 Full Review Manuel São Bento MSB Reviews Sarah Gubbins' screenplay may feel strange and aimless throughout the first half, but the intriguing relationships between the main characters and the weirdly captivating narrative are more than enough to create a creepy yet engaging atmosphere. Rated: B+ Jul 24, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert T A contrived, manipulative piece of knee-jerk that has absolutely nothing to do with the real Shirley Jackson and Stanley Hyman. In real life they were functional, witty, idiosyncratic, perhaps oddballs -- not psychotic, alcoholic ragers. Just read any bio of Shirley Jackson. No wonder their children were upset by this fiction. Also, this story is so predictable and stupid that Shirley Jackson would have wadded it up and thrown it in her waste basket if it had occurred to her -- which it wouldn't. I give the film one star only for the excellent acting, especially Elizabeth Moss. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 04/05/24 Full Review Melissa L I don't know why the audience who rated this movie gave it such poor ratings. It was superb. I recommend it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/24 Full Review Alec B I'm glad there was an attempt to emulate Jackson's writing style in this portrayal but the probing of the characters never gets beyond surface level observations. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review John T It is legitimate to imagine or re-imagine an author's life but completely illegitimate to invent a character, who bears little or no relation to them, and then pretend it is them. Imagine taking a childless woman, whose life was consumed by self-doubt and then making her into a jolly mother of four ! Absurd and ridiculous. No, that is not what 'Shirley' does, it does something almost worse, namely the opposite. It takes a mother of four and recasts her as a somewhat monstrous and angry childless woman preoccupied by a pregnant lodger. Shirley Jackson's son has complained this bears absolutely no relation to his mother as he has every right to. A travesty. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Susan D This was such a great movie, intellegent script, fantastic cast/acting, it kept me riveted to the screen. So refreshing! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/15/23 Full Review diane S Just a bad movie all around. And Elizabeth Moss is such a camera hog and so over the top in love with herself - she's absolutely unbearable and impossible to watch. She was bad before but scientology turned her into world class psycho. If you like being so close to Elizabeth Moss' face that you can count her nostril hairs, then this movie is for you. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Shirley

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Movie Info

Synopsis A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.
Director
Josephine Decker
Producer
Sarah Gubbins, David Hinojosa, Simon Horsman, Elisabeth Moss, Sue Naegle, Jeffrey Soros, Christine Vachon
Screenwriter
Sarah Gubbins
Distributor
Neon
Production Co
Los Angeles Media Fund, Mechanism Digital, Killer Films
Rating
R (Language|Brief Disturbing Images|Nudity|Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 5, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 4, 2020
Runtime
1h 47m
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