I can understand why some would feel put off by David Cronenberg’s films over the past two decades. If the thing that drew you to his earlier work was the outrageous visions of horror from exploding heads, mutant vampiric appendages and full body insect metamorphosis then his work in this late period of his career is puzzling. These days the director seems less interested in straightforward formal narratives with his odd, obsessive musings hanging from the story like bits of transparent flesh. In the 21st century Cronenberg has seemed to dig into a style that was always there, but used more as setting than mood. His films have always had a dreamlike vibe that would occasionally push the story forward in an unnatural way, making the viewer unsure if what was being seen was ‘real’ or imagined within the character’s lives. With THE SHROUDS (2025) he seems to be taking that obsession to a new level. I’ll not spoil the film but it seems that the writer/director throws a half a dozen fine ideas at his doppelganger main character (has any actor looked more like his director than here?) only to discard them because they were mere distractions from the story’s real journey and purpose. All the complications about technological conspiracies, sexual betrayals, marital trust and the reverence we owe to the dead are fascinating but are details ‘shrouding’ the important truth of the movie. THE SHROUDS is about the horrors of dealing with bone-deep grief and its final image gives an indicator of Cronenberg’s personal solution to this universal problem. His darkly humorous way of coping is not for everyone, but then neither is this fine film. I suspect it will be found by the people that need to see it as time goes by.
As an aside – I think a screening of THE BROOD with this movie would be instructive.
THE LIST
THE WOMAN IN THE YARD (2025) – 7
FRANKENSTEIN’S BLOODY TERROR (1968) - 7 (rewatch of the shorter 3D version)
THE CROSS OF THE DEVIL (1975) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)
CRIES & SHADOWS (1975) – 5 (silly, sloppy Exorcist rip-off but I kind of liked it)
SATANICO PANDIMONIUM (1975) – 4 (Mexican nun tale)
THE SECRET MARK OF D’ARTAGNAN (1962) – 7
FROM BEYOND (1986) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)
STRANGE DARLING (2024) – 9 (rewatch on Blu)
WOMEN OF DEVIL’S ISLAND (1962) – 7 (rewatch)
NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES (1969) – 5 (women wrestlers and mad science)
SINNERS (2025) – 9 (brilliant period vampire tale)
THE CASE OF THE LUCKY LEGS (1935) – 7 (fast, funny Perry Mason mystery)
THE SHROUDS (2025) – 8 (Cronenberg’s latest is a meditation on grief)
THE ACCOUNTANT 2 (2025) – 8
THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (2024) – 7 (excellent cast in an elder horror tale)
DEAD MAN’S EYES (1944) – 5 (rewatch on Blu)
PSYCHO GIRLS (1986) – 5 (amateurish Canadian horror with some good dialog)
