Shirley
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Biopics tend to come mostly toward the end of the year—in an attempt to grab award voters’ attention. Many try to inform and inspire simultaneously—to make viewers see the greatness that can be within anyone’s reach. But Shirley is not that kind of biopic.

Shirley stars Elisabeth Moss as Shirley Jackson, a reclusive horror writer who’s struggling to find the inspiration for her next novel. When her cheating, demeaning husband, Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg), invites ambitious Fred (Logan Lerman) and his new wife, Rose (Odessa Young), to stay with them until they can find a place of their own, Shirley isn’t just reluctant; she’s adamantly opposed to sharing their house with strangers—even if Rose is acting as their new maid. But as their husbands battle it out on campus, Shirley finds new inspiration in her young houseguest.

As the two couples adjust to living and working together, their relationships shift. Pregnant Rose stays home from school to care for the house—and for Shirley—easily sliding into the role of naïve housewife. Fred seems to take cues from his philandering idol, while Stanley revels in his ability to control, manipulate, and demean.

But it’s Shirley who takes center stage—a fascinating character who slips through moods and demeanors without warning. At her best, she’s determined and obsessive about her work. She has a sharp tongue that people tend to take as acerbic wit. At her worst, she’s violent and unpredictable. Even at her least volatile, she’s an eerie, unsettling character—pale and somber and moody. She’s damaged and unstable, talented yet insecure. And Moss’s portrayal of her is powerful, taking all of the character’s personalities and moods, her anxieties and her manipulation, and throwing it all into one haunting performance.

Admittedly, the pacing here is sometimes slow, and it often feels like there’s something missing. And though the tension is sometimes palpable, the story doesn’t exactly build up to the heart-pounding action that you might be anticipating. It’s more atmospheric than action-packed, but Moss manages to keep it quietly mesmerizing.

Shirley isn’t the typical biography—nor is it an entirely exhilarating thriller. But the character is a fascinating one—and Moss’s performance makes her come to life on the screen.


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