The Shed Review (Film, 2019) #31DaysofHorror
content warning: gore, death by suicide, child abuse, foul language, self-harm, animal abuse, mental wellness
Stanley is a 17 year old living under strict parole conditions after being sent to juvenile hall multiple times. He has to live with his grandfather, who is extremely abusive, in a town that despises him because both of his parents are dead and he is poor. One day, he discovers a vampire living in his shed that will eat any living thing that crosses the threshold. Stanley is terrified, but his best friend Dommer thinks they should use the creature to get rid of all the bullies and tormenters in their lives.
The Shed is a difficult film to watch. It is violent and upsetting by design. The abuse Stanley faces is shown to be as horrifying and unnatural as the appearance of a newly turned vampire living in his shed. He is plagued with nightmares of his mother’s death from illness and his father’s death by suicide. He’s physically abused by his grandfather and harassed by the police and his principal who say the only way for him to learn is to be roughed up. Stanley is trying to do the right thing but he just gets knocked down again and again for a series of misfortunes he did not bring upon himself.
Sometimes horror films are scary but not particularly enjoyable. This is not a bad thing if your expectations are set properly. Horror films do not need to bring you joy. Not every horror story is fun.
Those moments of levity make a big difference. This is where The Shed has a big issue. The main plot is upsetting. Compared to the horrific nightmares Stanley has, they are the moments of levity. The Shed has no breathing room and no break from the tension. It’s intense.
Technically, The Shed is well made. The vampire design is very strong. The opening sequence sets up the rules and style of this particular vampire. A man is being chased by something in the woods. He gets bitten in the neck. In the blink of an eye, the vampire is screaming. The sunlight hit him. He’s turned to a pile of dust. The man tries to escape and begins to burn himself. He covers himself with a tarp and runs into a nearby shed.
The action and scares in The Shed work. They’re brutal and grounded in realism by the greater context of the story. That strength is its flaw if you aren’t ready for this kind of horror film. This is not easy to watch because of Stanley’s backstory. It’s real world horror to set up supernatural horror and that can be a tough watch.
The Shed is streaming on Shudder.
