The Shrouds (2025) - Film Review

      The Shrouds, 2025.

      Written and Directed by David Cronenberg.

      Starring Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, Sandrine Holt, Elizabeth Saunders, Jennifer Dale, Steve Switzman, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Jeff Yung, Eric Weinthal, Matt Willis, Al Sapienza, and Vieslav Krystyan.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Karsh, a pioneering businessman mourning his late wife, creates a device to communicate with the deceased within a burial shroud. In an increasingly chaotic and unstable world, where society becomes more dependent, parasocial, and obsessed with technology, unethical and predatory companies are already exploring ways to profit from grief and loss (including unsettling ads suggesting uploading a deceased loved one's voice and likeness to a server for eternal comfort). Directed by the legendary David Cronenberg, The Shrouds revolves around a tech entrepreneur’s cemetery equipped with digital screens on tombstones, using high-resolution cameras buried beneath and synchronized to a user’s app to voyeuristically observe the decayed remains of loved ones, establishing a chilling atmosphere and initiating a profound exploration of contemporary grief and death.

      Yet, The Shrouds takes several unexpected turns, functioning also as a tech-thriller infused with conspiracy theories that become a kink for certain characters. It delves into Karsh’s (played by Vincent Cassel, who bears a resemblance to Cronenberg, fitting since this is a personal project) relationship with his deceased wife Becca (Diane Kruger), featuring body-horror flashbacks illustrating the effects of the disease that claimed her life, leading to her brittle bones. In one poignant moment, she sustains a broken hip after encouraging him to be intimate with her in bed.

      Diane Kruger also portrays Becca’s twin sister Terry, a dog groomer, whose resemblance does not disturb Karsh's mind as one might expect; he has pledged to honor her wish to remain apart. More unsettling is Karsh's AI assistant, Hunny, who not only resembles a younger Becca but is also voiced by Kruger, highlighting the lengths to which people will go to preserve a semblance of their lost loved ones, whether real or artificial.

      Returning to the unpredictable twists, one of the graves is vandalized, and a significant portion of The Shrouds follows Karsh enlisting his computer hacker brother Maury (Guy Pearce) to hack into the server he established to uncover clues about the responsible group — whether driven by environmental concerns, general activism against high-tech gravestones, or political motives. Notably, Maury was once in a relationship with Terry until his erratic behavior influenced the narrative’s flow. Despite being aware that Terry and Becca look alike, he appears slightly paranoid that Karsh pursued Terry as a coping mechanism. Meanwhile, Karsh discovers mysterious growths on Becca’s decaying remains, leading him to question their origin and possible links to her treatment. Additionally, he is seeking to expand his cemeteries in collaboration with the blind Soo-Min (Sandrine Holt), who recognizes her husband’s potential for imminent death, sparking dialogues about grief.

      This film is filled with so much content that it feels as if it redirects the viewer every few minutes. Fortunately, David Cronenberg presents mesmerizing imagery, often paired with deeply poignant scenes. Almost every aspect of Karsh and Becca’s story is depicted with heart-wrenching nuance, resembling the experience of witnessing a romantic partner’s slow demise, intensified by a visceral representation of the disease's harrowing effects. When Karsh tells a troubled blind date that he wished he could have been buried alongside Becca the day she was interred, it establishes bizarre behavior (which escalates when he reveals the grave's digital features) while also creating an exceptionally bittersweet and poignant moment.

      David Cronenberg effectively weaves together the film’s numerous themes, often to unsettling effects. However, aside from uncovering who vandalized the graveyard and details of Becca’s past hinting at various conspiracies, the narrative starts to feel disconnected from its initial inquiries. Nonetheless, some resolutions are satisfying and cleverly connect to broader issues regarding the modern digital age, while others contribute to a mystery that seems forced but might reveal deeper significance upon rewatching.

      Overall, the narrative feels somewhat disjointed, but the conclusion provides a hard-to-dismiss, mostly logical closure to the explored themes. Even amidst the chaos, the film retains that distinctive Cronenberg originality and boldness alongside an engaging allure, clearly conveying its intended message.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He also serves as the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd.