Graham’s way with actors can’t be faulted on this evidence, and there’s no question that his work here sets out the stall for a promising feature career.
Shell is an emotive, mesmerising, evocative and utterly haunting film that speaks to the unfulfilled and forgotten pieces of the dreams that lie deep within us all.
A father and daughter run a petrol station in the Highlands, but their relationship is fuelled by something more unsettling, in Scott Graham’s promising feature debut.
Scott Graham's haunting, minimalist debut grips from the outset with startling photography and an attention-grabbing turn from newbie actress Chloe Pirrie.
Some over-cooked symbolism and over-familiar arthouse tropes (austere emotions, joyless sex) mean that it’s not hard to guess where all this is going, ensuring that despite the film’s many technical and performance-led strengths, its story just doesn’t feel strong enough to sustain a feature.
Shell, the captivating debut from the young Scottish filmmaker Scott Graham, finds claustrophobia in the widest-open landscape, and isolation in the closest-knit relationship.
Newcomer Chloe Pirrie is exceptional as a 17-year-old girl coping with solitude in the remote, wind-whipped Scottish Highlands, running a petrol station.
Keeps the tale on a steady simmer right through to the closing moments, when it spits and sputters into melodrama. Until then, Shell casts a spell.
A sensitive, unflinching exploration of bleak lives Shell marks the emergence of a distinctive new voice in British cinema and a striking young performer in Chloe Pirrie.
A decent effort and director Scott Graham is one to watch, but this is far from a fully formed drama.
Touching, understated.
The best thing about this dour, minimalist Scottish movie is the performance of Chloe Pirrie.
Profile: Scott Graham, director of Shell
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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