Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- foreboding
- paranoid
- late night horror viewing
- haunted house marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded this American remake as a weak and culturally muddled supernatural horror film that lacks the force of its source material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ben repeatedly discovers strange white blurs in his fashion photographs, while Jane interprets them as spirit photography.
The couple’s accident and Ben’s connection to the dead girl make the photographs signs of an unresolved moral burden.
The film is an American remake directed by Japanese filmmaker Masayuki Ochiai, with American leads living and working in Tokyo.
The dark forest-road collision precedes the missing body, the couple’s relocation, and the photographic manifestations.
Films like Shutter, and why
The Grudge
supernatural investigation, spirit photography, and an ominous ghost mystery set against contemporary Japan
The Ring
photographic clues, an avenging female spirit, and a polished supernatural horror atmosphere
Dark Water
asian horror remake conventions, relationship guilt, and escalating paranormal dread
Movie Details
- Director
- Masayuki Ochiai
- Release Date
- 2008-03-21
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (848)
Cast
- Joshua Jackson
- Rachael Taylor
- Megumi Okina
- David Denman
- Elly Otoguro
- John Hensley
- Maya Hazen
- James Kyson
- Yoshiko Miyazaki
- Kei Yamamoto
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Shutter about?
- A newlywed photographer and his wife confront a vengeful spirit whose presence emerges as impossible blurs in their Tokyo photographs.
- What is Shutter like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Shutter as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Shutter violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Shutter as mild.
- What did critics think of Shutter?
- Critics broadly regarded this American remake as a weak and culturally muddled supernatural horror film that lacks the force of its source material.
- Which films are like Shutter?
- Films with a similar feel include The Grudge, The Ring, and Dark Water.
- How long is Shutter?
- Shutter runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch Shutter?
- In United States, Shutter streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
