Here’s an interesting biographical detail about me: as a kid, I lived in Iran for around six months. This was in the seventies, right before the Shah fell in the cultural revolution there. As such, I have a bit more familiarity with the country’s history than some. And I’m well aware of the country’s war with Iraq that occurred in the 1980s.

The tension of the war could doubtless be an excellent backdrop for a horror or suspense film. That’s what “Under the Shadow” attempts to do.

Unfortunately, it fails.

I’ll present the the premise. A mother and her daughter are living life in a Tehran apartment after the family’s patriarch is drafted to the war effort. Tension simmers with the news that Iraq is now sending missiles into cities. And indeed, one missile lands on the roof, fortunately not exploding. 

But it brought something with it. What? Well, the daughter reports it as being a djinn, an Arab spirit.

So, it’s a decent set up. The problem is that it unfurls exactly as you’d expect. And the creepy stuff just wasn’t that creepy.

There was some imagery that sticks with me—a cloaked figure was well done.

The special effects budget looked to be about 29 cents.

Some political points are made. The mother and her daughter are basically trapped in their apartment because the rights of women were so limited at the time (and still are.) But more could have been done with these themes.

The acting seemed capable enough though it’s always hard to tell when the voices have been dubbed, as they were in the version I saw.

Somehow, for reasons that baffle me, this film is highly rated both by critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. For me, it was largely a yawnfest. Maybe it would interest viewers who want to see some horror in a non western setting.