Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- paranoid
- surreal
- late night viewing
- arthouse horror night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an elegant, original, and deeply unsettling psychological horror built around inventive sound design and an ambiguous nested narrative, though some find its conclusion and purpose less satisfying.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Crossley recounts the tale of another Crossley to Graves at a psychiatric hospital, while the framing encounter casts doubt on the story's reality.
The lethal shout and Anthony's experiments with microphones, bees, and captured natural sounds make audio the film's central source of menace.
Devon's English coastline and small-town surroundings become deeply troubling spaces beneath the stranger's claims of magic and curses.
Charles Crossley invades Anthony and Rachel Fielding's home, displaces the musician, and asserts power over Rachel.
Films like The Shout, and why
The Wicker Man
uncanny psychological horror, ambiguous reality, and an outsider invading a seemingly ordinary domestic world
The Lair of the White Worm
surreal folk horror, unsettling rural landscapes, and supernatural menace embedded in british social environments
The Exorcist
intellectual horror, oppressive atmosphere, and a destabilizing intruder who challenges rational explanations
The Innocents
elegant mystery construction, doubled identities, and a disturbing blend of performance, illusion, and psychological control
Movie Details
- Director
- Jerzy Skolimowski
- Release Date
- 1978-06-16
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (132)
Cast
- Alan Bates
- Susannah York
- John Hurt
- Robert Stephens
- Tim Curry
- Julian Hough
- Carol Drinkwater
- John Rees
- Jim Broadbent
- Susan Wooldridge
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- AMC+ Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Shout about?
- A mysterious drifter claiming a killing shout invades a composer’s coastal home, turning domestic life into an unnerving contest between magic and madness.
- What is The Shout like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Shout as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Shout violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Shout as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Shout?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an elegant, original, and deeply unsettling psychological horror built around inventive sound design and an ambiguous nested narrative, though some find its conclusion and purpose less satisfying.
- Which films are like The Shout?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wicker Man, The Lair of the White Worm, The Exorcist, and The Innocents.
- How long is The Shout?
- The Shout runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Shout?
- In United States, The Shout streams on AMC+ Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel.
