Max Minghella's latest directorial piece, "Shell", takes the format of a campy dark comedy tackling the ever-controversial subject of beauty standards in society. Minghella, six years on from his debut "Teen Spirit", returns to the Toronto International Film Festival.
"Shell" tells the tale of TV actress Samantha Lake, portrayed by Elisabeth Moss, who is eager to break into film roles. Relegated to the lower rungs of Hollywood hierarchy, Samantha's team believes it's time for a change. On their recommendation, Samantha turns to Shell, a beauty company run by Zoe Shannon, played by Kate Hudson, offering a revolutionary treatment promoting overall body health and anti-aging benefits.
Although initially hesitant, Samantha gets convinced by Dr. Hubert (Arian Moayed) and signs up for the treatment. She crosses paths with Chloe Benson (Kaia Gerber) who she used to babysit, and clearly, Chloe is also benefiting from the same treatment despite being new to the industry. Shortly after taking the treatment, Chloe goes missing. Completely engrossed in her newfound fame, Samantha only barely notices Chloe's disappearance.
The transformation sets Samantha on a new path of success and self-confidence, making her feel attractive and powerful. However, the series of mysterious events initiates the downfall of Zoe’s empire, as Samantha begins experiencing unexpected side effects from the treatment. She soon realizes that Chloe's fate could soon be hers.
Despite its 100-minute run-time, "Shell" leaves viewers wanting more as it rapidly navigates scene after scene. There’s fun to be had, particularly Hudson’s performance as Zoe but the film refrains from fully capitalizing on the camp genre. The horror elements are well approached and intriguing, but the overall clean aesthetic of the film doesn’t do justice to it's campy horror nature.
The narrative of "Shell", despite its surface focus on critical beauty industry observations, depends heavily on its narrative tone and standout performances. Even if it doesn't stir any groundbreaking discourse on beauty norms or become the cult classic it aims to be, the captivating performances in "Shell" make it worth a watch as a peculiar film.
