Under Heaven, also known as In the Shadows, is a 1998 American drama film directed by Meg Richman and starring Joely Richardson, Aden Young, and Molly Parker.
[1][3] Emanuel Levy of Variety gave a negative review, writing that the film is "marred by an obvious narrative, shallow psychological motivations and pat ending".
[1] Though he praised Richardson's acting, Levy wrote, "Deviating from James’ great and complex novel, in which emotional ambiguity and moral dilemmas prevail up to the end, Richman's script is too simplistic.
"[1] Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle was more positive, writing that compared to Softley's film, "what this version lacks in lavishness it makes up for in raw emotion".
[3] Criticisms were mainly of the film's script, which Richard von Busack of Metro Silicon Valley described as having "the scent of secondhand experience, the air of student drama, complete with blocky morals; a happy, beautiful death; and a preposterous renunciation.