The Shrouds is a new film from David Cronenberg. The film stars Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, and Sandrine Holt. Inconsolable since the death of his wife, Karsh, a prominent businessman, invents a revolutionary and controversial technology that enables the living to monitor their dear departed in the shrouds. One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated, and he sets out to track down the perpetrators.

I can’t really say what I expect out of David Cronenberg’s films as of lately. He has his fan base, and I’ve certainly admired his work in the past. His new film has a lot of grand ideas and themes that should provoke conversation. I was on board for most of the film even with its flaws. By the third act, I realized what this really was: pretentious.

Before anyone gets the pitch forks ready, I’m always open to people enjoying whatever they want. I think there will be enough that fans will enjoy it. By the time this gets a larger release, I guarantee you this will be one of his most divided works. There are reviews who hate it more than I do, and I strongly believe they have valid reasons.

I’ll start off with the good that I did enjoy. What I like most about the filmmaker’s works in his stylistic tone. The idea of embracing the dead in this story is interesting, weird, and offers something to think about. Casting Vincent Cassel in the lead role feels like the right move for what Cronenberg wanted from the lead role.

I felt like I often thought I knew what was going on even when it got weird. In hindsight, it was simply too weird. The main character is truly a terrible person. He doesn’t recognize anything about the people around him. He just tends to sexualize his deceased spouse. Instead of giving him a challenging arc that allows him to see himself for his flaws, the film makes it seem normal, which just feels gross. 

The supporting cast is great in their own right, but they offer nothing of substance. Diane Kruger is a tremendous actress and deserves to have more enriching characters to present. As for Guy Pearce, I think he needs to go back on what he said about his performance in Memento. It’s not his worst, but this is certainly far worse than Memento. The story involving character by the end makes it feel like we’ve wasted an hour when it was necessary to begin with.

On a cinematic level, this is questionably bad. The CGI felt like I was being transported back to the early 2000’s. It could have been good. It could have been great even! The camera work is also incredibly odd. We get the oddest shots of a hand holding a phone on FaceTime that is completely still. There’s no way anyone would just hold their hand like that. It feels intentional to help the camera get the shot.

At nearly 2 hours, the film feels much longer than what it is. The pacing is dreadfully slow. As mentioned, there’s a side plot with Guy Pearce that goes nowhere. By the end, it serves no purpose and proves that Cassel’s character is truly awful. For a film that feels so long, it ends on the most dire and weirdest note possible.

Overall, The Shrouds is a disappointment. It’s there thematically and I found the world unique, but the characters were off-putting, side stories go nowhere, and it’s insanely slow. I’d rather stick with Brandon Cronenberg’s work from here.

VERDICT: 2/5 (Bad)