Shell is a 2024 American dark comedy horror film[2][3][4] directed by Max Minghella, written by Jack Stanley, and starring Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson, Kaia Gerber and Elizabeth Berkley.
Down on her luck actress Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss) is invited into the ultra-glamorous world of Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson), CEO of wellness company SHELL.
[6] Director Max Minghella was reportedly taken by the "imaginative, quite abstract" script, even if it contained elements he didn't expect to resonate with him like body horror and bold imagery.
[6] In July 2020, it was announced Minghella would direct the film, from Jack Stanley's script, with Fred Berger, Brian Kavanaugh, and Alicia Van Couvering producing.
[6] In February 2024, Arian Moayed, Lionel Boyce, Este Haim, Ziwe Fumudoh, Peter MacNicol, Blake Lee, Dustin Milligan, Peri Gilpin and Mary Lynn Rajskub were announced to be cast in the film, when shooting had just wrapped.
Despite "some funny moments and some eye-catching images," however, the film was criticized for not living up to the expectations offered in its "promising cold open," adding: "Shell also fancies itself body horror, but again it doesn’t commit hard enough to truly excel in that area.
It described the film as "a vibrant, quirky tapestry of genres in paying tribute to [Minghella] cinematic loves and influences" and praised "the opening sequence, a darkly funny and suspenseful burst of body horror featuring Elizabeth Berkley [that] establishes the offbeat, playful tone straightaway."
Hudson's part was considered "more interesting" and "colorful" than that of "the plucky, straight-edged heroine" Moss, and the production design by Susie Mancini was praised for "captures the vibrant, sun-soaked glamour of classic Hollywood but with a futuristic twist."
[23] In a positive review, RogerEbert.com praised the movie: "The entertainment business satire elements hit the mark, the twists are solid, and Minghella harnesses a creeping sense of spiraling dread with real skill."