Claire (Murisa Harba) and her husband, Eric (Timothy Ryan Cole) are going through a difficult period in their lives. Claire has lost a baby and it’s taking a toll on their relationship. They’re struggling to keep things together and although they’re trying their best, the cracks are showing and it seems that they may be at breaking point.
Claire is also seeing Monica (Charlotte Beckett), a therapist and although Claire’s grip on reality is dubious at best, she feels like she’s getting better.
The Shattering is a psychological thriller about a woman’s post partem depression and the different stages of reality that she feels she’s experiencing. Presented in a non-linear fashion, The Shattering tells Claire’s story by going back and forth through her experiences of pregnancy and the events that happen after her miscarriage.
Both Harba and Cole have a great chemistry together and having most of the on-screen time focussed on them really helps as it shows their relationship. The realistic dialogue also explores the feelings that a couple such as this go through in this situation and feels very well thought out.
There’s a certain level of intrigue and mystery though as although the story is not told with a beginning, middle and an end. Also, there are certain things Claire does such as fantasise about her therapist and dress in certain ways which suggest her mind may not be all there.
The Shattering always keeps the audience guessing though, not only by going back and forth through time, but also making them guess about Claire’s state of mind and Harba’s performance reflects that perfectly.
However, there are issues with the depiction of mental health, post partem depression and perhaps a little too much focus on Murisa Harba in her underwear which takes focus away from the plot. For all the good that it does to discuss the issues surrounding the film with an insightful and thoughtful point of view, it does unfortunately have an uneven tone. This results in an ending which unfortunately doesn’t have much to say about the film’s prior events and may leave the audience confused.
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