Take Shelter

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Take Shelter

R

2011

2h 4m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

167 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) lives in a small Ohio town with his loving wife (Jessica Chastain) and hearing-impaired daughter (Tova Stewart). Though money is tight, he and his family are very happy. But then, Curtis begins having terrifying dreams about an apocalypse that threatens them all. Rather than confiding in Samantha, he begins building a storm shelter in the backyard, and his strange behavior causes tension in their marriage and the surrounding community.

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Critics Consensus

Michael Shannon gives a powerhouse performance and the purposefully subtle filmmaking creates a perfect blend of drama, terror, and dread.

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Geoff Andrew

Sight & Sound

What makes Nichols' film so satisfying, at least until the melodrama of the final act, is the deftness of the characterisations and the constant sense that things are probably considerably more complex than they're perceived.

Aug 29, 2017

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David Thomson

The New Republic

In my estimate, this unique and frequently arresting film suffers from the monotony of the lead players' affect, and from the film's urge to have its gloomy cake and eat it.

Jun 20, 2013

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Justin Chang

Variety

A hallucinatory thriller anchored by a deeply resonant sense of unease.

Jan 4, 2012

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Ray Pride

Newcity

Taut masterpiece of prescient dread... Day clouds are pretty and plain, puffs of white, expanse of common blue. Nichols finds telling details everywhere in the countryside, in mood akin to Eggleston but far from Shore.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 4, 2024

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Michael Leader

Den of Geek

Whether it achieves such standing or not, Take Shelter succeeds in something quite impressive.

Rated: 4/5

May 8, 2024

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

A captivating experience, thanks in large part to Michael Shannon's powerful performance, with the payoff only elevating the journey into something even more satisfying.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 24, 2023

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GARY P

A tedious film - after an hour in still nothing had really happened and nothing does really happen in the end - it’s maybe a film to watch if your in a completive frame of mind on a rainy Sunday afternoon but don’t go for it as an absorbing entertaining film on a Saturday evening

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/30/25

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si B

Kept me engaged and with good acting and pacing Clever and engaging Can't say any more without ruining it, but looking at the other reviews alot of people didn't get it

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/16/25

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Jack F

One or my favourite movies. Michael Shannon is superb. The suspension is unreal. The acting the portrayal of the lives they live.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

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Bruce M

What a load of crap... I will NEVER understand how this movie has the ratings it has. It wasn't even kind of "okay"! I feel like this whole movie was pushing the idea of a good story without actual follow through. Total waste of time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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Joshua E.

Quite possibly one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Zero point. Zero closure. Horrifically attempted anxiety. I am blown away anyone gave this more than a zero. Rotten as hell. Waste of a Saturday night.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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Heather V

This was a dumb movie! Idk what the critics were talking about with their throw up of words. But this sucked, worst $3 I've spent on a movie. Slow, boring, confusing, I want to cuss because of how stupid this movie is. How in all the grass blades on earth did it get the rating it has? Don't do it, dont be a fool like us and watch this movie. I promise you will want to stick your head in a bucket of dry ice!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

Full Review

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Jeff Nichols

Director

Michael Shannon

Curtis LaForche

Jessica Chastain

Samantha LaForche

Shea Whigham

Dewart

Katy Mixon

Nat

Ray McKinnon

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Synopsis

Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) lives in a small Ohio town with his loving wife (Jessica Chastain) and hearing-impaired daughter (Tova Stewart). Though money is tight, he and his family are very happy. But then, Curtis begins having terrifying dreams about an apocalypse that threatens them all. Rather than confiding in Samantha, he begins building a storm shelter in the backyard, and his strange behavior causes tension in their marriage and the surrounding community.

Director: Jeff Nichols
Producer: Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin
Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Strange Matter Films
Rating: R (Some Language)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 25, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7M
Runtime: 2h 4m

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