Shiva Baby

2020's SHIVA BABY is one of the most stressful films I've seen of late.  A whirlwind of emotion and a tightening vise of claustrophobia that follows a troubled young woman as she navigates a sea of relatives, friends, lovers, and ex-lovers during an afternoon shiva (a gathering of mourners at someone's house).  It is only seventy seven minutes and just the right length; had it been any longer it might induce cardiac arrest.  And one doesn't even have to be Jewish to be feel the anxiety of writer/director Emma Seligman's film, her debut, an adaptation of her 2018 short.

  

Danielle (Rachel Sennott) is a college student about to graduate and unsure of her future.  She is repeatedly asked about her plans in that relentless way people, especially parents and their friends, do from the time you're old enough to make decisions.  Danielle has vague answers, and sometimes they are different depending on to whom she is speaking.  She has told her "sugar daddy" Max (a guy who pays her to have sex with him) that she's in law school.  

Um, that would actually be her ex-girlfriend Maya (Molly Gordon), who turns up at the shiva, much to Danielle's dismay.  Max (Danny Deferrari) is also there...with his shiksa wife Kim (Dianna Agron) and their newborn.  This will naturally create many awkward encounters among them and Danielle's parents - Debbie (Polly Draper) and Joel (Fred Melamed).  In fact, there's nary a scene that isn't a horrifically awkward encounter for Danielle.

We realize most of her colossal embarrassment and potential character assassination is of her own doing, but who among us isn't human, prone to create images to please our family and peers?  The societal pressure is nearly unbearable, and presented by Seligman as to make her viewers wildly uncomfortable.  But while one might call SHIVA BABY a horror film (with accordingly dissonant scoring by Ariel Marx) and near continuous assault, it is also wildly funny and observant.  Of Jewish culture, yes, but most of the humor I believe is universal.  Especially when older folks are overjoyed when you actually eat something because you are too damned skinny. 

Seligman could've created a mere overlong sitcom episode with this material, but instead has a real eye.