Above the Shadows

Released Jul 19, 2019

1h 45m

Drama

Fantasy

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70%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

63%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Holly has faded to the point of becoming invisible, but she has one chance to restore a disgraced MMA fighter, Shane Blackwell, to his former glory, and in doing so regain her foothold in the world around her.

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Michael T

It's a solid b plus movie. They took the fantasy and ran with it and produced a realistically touching interpretation of what such an affliction would actually be like. Along with the fresh interpretation of the invisible person trope, the set design and world building was way more nuanced than I would expect for a fantasy romance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/22/24

Full Review

John O

Spoilers: This confirms yet again what a gem Olivia Thirlby is, and I've liked her since I I first saw her on film years ago. It is no mean feat to play a fantastic parable or metaphor -- or simile as her Mom told her early on -- rather than straight narrative real life. She felt invisible because she was shattered by the grief of losing her Mom at age 12. And she played it out that way, as that grief forced her away from everyone mentally, emotionally. The creativity by writer/director Myers in making that forced distance from family and everyone alike into "real" invisibility was both risky and refreshing. And did Olivia and Ritchson ever pull it off. It was not explained how she got invisible or how Shane was the only one who could see Holly because it was inexplicable, almost magical, but really a plot device to pull us in and like her as much as Emma Stone in "La La Land," and Alan as much as Sly Stallone in "Rocky." The point is if you think life should be smooth with an attitude of what can life do for me, you are set up to be smashed, made invisible to not just others but also yourself in hard times. But if you can take the blows and ask what can I do for others despite my pain, everything turns around and you become visible again to others -- and to yourself. I cared about these characters. Bravo for both creative and bang-up storytelling. The metaphor of the mixed martial arts cage for planet Earth also worked, as Shane both saw and accepted the beauty of not just the training required but also the thought symphony of what to do and when, when wrestling is melded with kick boxing in the cage. With preparation, you can get through it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/28/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Being above the shadows is a curse Megan Fox, Olivia Thirlby, Alan Ritchson star in a sports drama with a supernatural twist to it Director Claudia Myers makes a sort of 'Ghost' meets 'Rocky' Holly grew up with her parents and two siblings But her mother got sick and passed away; as the years rolled by Holly literally started fading out of existence with no one around noticing Her being visible and remembered was gone All grown up Holly now has a chance to help someone, in this case it's a disgraced MMA fighter Shane Blackwell If she succeeds she can perhaps regain her stance in the world It stinks that Megan Fox doesn't show up until an hour and 6 minutes in with only 2 scenes and this acts more like a drama The fights are far and few in between which is a shame I really would've preferred more fun too with the whole invisible aspect Plus we never see Holly interacting with her brother and sister face-to-face even as an adult giving proper closure But Myers' heart is in the right place having a look at trauma affect people even the marginalized ones making them feel invisible Profound grief and monumental loss is a universal thing the film touches upon I just wish this could've been a more exciting combination of two genres because I've seen it done better and less lagging Performers are good even if the ending is a bit contrived and there's no explanation for the supposed metaphor presented

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/19/24

Full Review

John W

Decent story and pretty good acting. Is it wrong that I think Alan Ritchson's best performance was Thad Castle? Regardless he's an underrated actor who may be overshadowed by his imposing size and look. It's also a pretty good morality play about the dangers of being self-centered....if one cared to see it. 😉

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

V B

Interesting premise, but that's it Bad actors, bad dialogue

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/24/23

Full Review

Zara D

It was a great feel good movie the plot was a bit predictable at times and sometimes the characters lacked depth, but it was overall an enjoyable watch if it looks interesting I'd definitely recommend you watch it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/26/23

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Claudia Myers

Director

Olivia Thirlby

Holly

Alan Ritchson

Shane

Megan Fox

Juliana

Jim Gaffigan

Paul Jederman

Maria Dizzia

Victoria Jederman

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Above the Shadows: Trailer 1

2:25

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Nell Minow

AWFJ.org

You might think that the combination of a delicate fantasy with MMA fight scenes would not work, but Claudia Myers brings it together seamlessly, with a sure sense of story and tone.

Oct 13, 2021

Full Review

Courtney Howard

Variety

The savvy smarts within don't quite sustain the running time and, much like its protagonist, the film becomes transparent in its motives and sentimentality.

Jul 19, 2019

Full Review

Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

Thirlby gives a good performance as someone who finds it easier to remain a non-person than to make any effort to fix her life. But the more Holly comes into view, the blander her character becomes.

Jul 19, 2019

Full Review

Jennifer Merin

AWFJ.org

Fine performances by Thrilby and Ritchson make the invisibility fantasy real enough for us to think about the trauma that marginalized - invisible - people experience.

Oct 13, 2021

Full Review

Betsy Bozdech

AWFJ.org

Myers spins a unique story in Above the Shadows, exploring grief and identity in an almost comic book-like way.

Oct 13, 2021

Full Review

Leslie Combemale

AWFJ.org

Above the Shadows is an interesting journey that is well worth taking.

Oct 17, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Holly has faded to the point of becoming invisible, but she has one chance to restore a disgraced MMA fighter, Shane Blackwell, to his former glory, and in doing so regain her foothold in the world around her.

Director: Claudia Myers
Producer: Pete Conlin, Kirk D'Amico, Audrey Delaney, Patrick DePeters
Screenwriter: Claudia Myers
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Production Co: BondIt Media Capital, Myriad Pictures
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 19, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 19, 2019
Runtime: 1h 45m

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