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The Shrouds review: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, and some icky ‘GraveTech' make for a lifeless horror

The Shrouds review: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, and some icky ‘GraveTech' make for a lifeless horror

That man is Karsh (Vincent Cassel), a wealthy widower who invests his fortune in GraveTech – a ghastly burial enterprise that allows people like him to livestream images of their loved ones' decomposing corpses. It involves an elaborate shroud, and Karsh should probably see a therapist.
Instead, he dreams of being reunited with wife Becca (Diane Kruger) and is devastated to discover someone has vandalised her grave.
Becca's twin Terry (also Kruger) tries to help; so does Terry's ex, a greasy brainbox named Maury (Guy Pearce). Dicey love affairs and grisly medical conspiracies complicate matters.
Cronenberg has made ­ickier horrors, but I'm not sure he's made a film quite as lifeless as The Shrouds. It's a personal project for the Canadian auteur, whose film editor wife Carolyn Zeifman died in 2017 – and if you look hard enough, you can see what he's trying to get at.
Silly, superficial plot swerves and contrived, theatrical exchanges spoil the tension. A disappointment.
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Film review: Jurassic Park: Rebirth places the focus on the real stars — the dinosaurs

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The Shrouds review: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, and some icky ‘GraveTech' make for a lifeless horror
The Shrouds review: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, and some icky ‘GraveTech' make for a lifeless horror

Irish Independent

time2 days ago

  • Irish Independent

The Shrouds review: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, and some icky ‘GraveTech' make for a lifeless horror

That man is Karsh (Vincent Cassel), a wealthy widower who invests his fortune in GraveTech – a ghastly burial enterprise that allows people like him to livestream images of their loved ones' decomposing corpses. It involves an elaborate shroud, and Karsh should probably see a therapist. Instead, he dreams of being reunited with wife Becca (Diane Kruger) and is devastated to discover someone has vandalised her grave. Becca's twin Terry (also Kruger) tries to help; so does Terry's ex, a greasy brainbox named Maury (Guy Pearce). Dicey love affairs and grisly medical conspiracies complicate matters. Cronenberg has made ­ickier horrors, but I'm not sure he's made a film quite as lifeless as The Shrouds. It's a personal project for the Canadian auteur, whose film editor wife Carolyn Zeifman died in 2017 – and if you look hard enough, you can see what he's trying to get at. Silly, superficial plot swerves and contrived, theatrical exchanges spoil the tension. A disappointment.

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Wimbledon's ‘most beautiful debutant' worked as model and delivery driver and was left in tears over her bank balance

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