However, I just LOVE the movies that do not look horror but feel scary and make my heart physically hurt because of anxiety. All horror movies should bow to 'Take Shelter' and remember how the subtle lighting and darkness contrast and a second of facial expression can change the movie's genre from drama to horror.
At first, I thought it's another story of paranoid schizophrenia, and I can already see how the story will progress and how actors will all act jumpy. However, this unique obsession over the weather is new, and Shannon actually suppresses all too much, which is more similar to what actual patients would do. That's why that one burst of anger is powerful and impressive.
The first half of the movie is about his condition. It's descriptive but repetitive. His ominous dream is almost like his reality. He actually feels physical pain from the dog bite and keeps hallucinating about the storm. That lasts about an hour. The intensity becomes bigger, but there is no drama, accident, or activity. However, it's weirdly gripping because of Shannon's performance. Without noticing one hour gone by, I was putting myself in his position and living the life of Curtis. Actually, there was a possibility of the main character's confusion making the whole movie confused and crowded. Rather, his ambiguity between the dream and the reality is directly conveyed to me. How does 'Take Shelter' do this? It felt like an alternative, virtual, out-of-body, fourth-dimensional, or meta experience.
