Apparently this movie was released in April 2010 in the UK. I don’t remember this.

Anyway, this horror/thriller, starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers (perhaps best known for period drama series The Tudors), tells the story of a mental patient with multiple personalities.

Moore’s character Cara is a forensic psychiatrist who doesn’t believe the disorder exists. Unfortunately, she gets more than she bargained for when David (Meyers) begins to put members of her family in danger.

I watched this film with one of my best friends, who is adamant it is one of ‘the best films she’s seen in ages!’

I’m not so convinced.

The acting ability within the film is definitely high. Meyers succeeds in playing a variety of different characters and changing their accents accordingly. Moore does just as well, with more minor characters being acted expertly.

I have an issue with horror movies in general, though: they’re just never original.

We always get some dark, seedy setting, like an abandoned lake house or a disused hospital and the plot usually just consists of each of the characters being murdered, with the main character being the only survivor.

This is pretty much what ‘Shelter’ was like.

There were some elements of originality to the film: the idea of ancient witchcraft affecting the dynamic of the main plot and its combination with mental illness gives it at least some positives.

Horror films also rarely make me ‘jump’. But there were some points in which my heart literally felt like it had stopped.

Overall, I think the film was too long. It must have been around 2 and a half to 3 hours, which I felt dragged.

If you’re a fan of great acting, watch this film. If you’re not a fan of obvious plot lines and the usual horror ‘obvious’ outcomes, don’t watch it.

Honestly, I won’t be watching it again, but I do understand why some would enjoy this film.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10.