Shut In (2016)

Summary:

Shut In is a psychological thriller film centered on Mary Portman, a widowed child psychologist who works from her isolated home in rural New England. Six months prior, a devastating car accident claimed her husband's life and left her 19-year-old stepson, Steven, in a vegetative, catatonic state, forcing Mary to become his sole caregiver. The immense stress of her isolation and her stepson's condition begins to take a severe toll on her mental health. Her fragile world is shattered when one of her young patients, a deaf boy named Tom, suddenly disappears during a massive winter storm, leaving behind only strange disturbances in the house. As the storm intensifies and she becomes completely cut off from the outside world, Mary is plagued by terrifying visions, believing she is being haunted or that a danger is lurking inside her home. The film builds toward a major twist that reveals the true source of the menace and the identity of the person threatening her life.

Detailed Plot (Movie Story):

The film opens by establishing the tragic backstory of the protagonist, Mary Portman (Naomi Watts), a child psychologist living in an isolated house in rural Maine. Her life was destroyed six months earlier when a car accident, resulting from a heated argument between her husband and his rebellious son, killed her husband, Richard Portman, and left her 19-year-old stepson, Steven Portman (Charlie Heaton), catatonic, paralyzed from the neck down, and unresponsive.

Mary is now Steven's full-time caregiver, a role that has driven her to the brink of emotional and physical exhaustion. She regularly speaks to her colleague, Dr. Wilson (Oliver Platt), who advises her to institutionalize Steven, a suggestion Mary struggles with due to intense guilt.

Mary's last patient is a deaf, troubled boy named Tom Patterson (Jacob Tremblay), whom she has developed a strong connection with. However, Mary is told that Tom is being transferred to a school in Boston. Distraught over the loss of her last connection to her professional life and facing the reality of sending Steven away, Mary's emotional state deteriorates.

During a consultation, Tom violently attacks Mary and flees the house into the deepening New England blizzard. Mary calls the authorities, but the search is soon called off due to the severity of the storm, which leaves her completely isolated and without electricity.

As Mary is trapped alone in the house with Steven, she begins to experience terrifying phenomena: strange noises, unexplained disturbances, and fleeting glimpses of a small figure, leading her to believe that Tom is hiding somewhere in the house and is responsible for the haunting. Dr. Wilson, communicating with her via limited satellite connection, suggests her experiences are hallucinations brought on by stress and sleep deprivation—a condition known as Parasomnia.

Mary grows increasingly paranoid, seeing Tom's face in the darkness and finding strange objects. She eventually finds Tom hiding in a storage area. She locks him in the basement for his own safety and, believing he is mentally unwell, attempts to administer medication. However, Tom manages to escape.

The film then reveals its major plot twist: the source of the torment is not the missing boy, Tom, but her stepson, Steven. Steven was never catatonic; he has been feigning paralysis since the accident. He is a sociopath who was deeply resentful of his father and Mary's lack of attention, and he was the one causing all the disturbances to drive Mary insane. The accident was his fault, and he orchestrated his "vegetative" state to escape punishment and manipulate Mary. It is also revealed that Steven kidnapped Tom and caused the child to disappear into the harsh weather to use Mary's guilt and fear against her.

Steven reveals his deception by suddenly standing up from his wheelchair, confronting Mary. He attempts to strangle her. In a desperate fight for her life, Mary manages to fend him off. The confrontation escalates, and Steven eventually chases Mary and the now-found Tom up to the attic.

In the final confrontation, Steven is electrocuted when he attempts to attack Mary, who has taken refuge near a broken electric wire. Steven is killed, and Mary finally escapes the psychological and physical prison he had created for her.

The film concludes with Mary and Tom safely outside in the care of the authorities, having survived the ordeal and the storm.

Release Date:

Shut In was released on November 11, 2016 (United States and Canada).