We continue to look back at filmmaker Jeff Nichols' career so far as he returns to the director's chair tomorrow with Midnight Special.
Take Shelter
In 2011, he was back with his second feature film Take Shelter, which was another film that was met with acclaim upon release. Once again, he penned the screenplay as well as being in the director's chair and reunited with Shotgun Stories leading man Michael Shannon.
Curtis LaForche (Shannon) lives in a small Ohio town with his wife Samantha and six-year-old daughter Hannah, who is deaf. Curtis makes a modest living as a crew chief for a sand-mining company. Samantha is a stay-at-home mother and part-time seamstress who supplements their income by selling handmade wares at the flea market each weekend. Money is tight, and navigating Hannah's healthcare and special needs education is a constant struggle. Despite that, Curtis and Samantha are very much in love and their family is a happy one.
Then Curtis begins having terrifying dreams about an encroaching, apocalyptic storm. He chooses to keep the disturbance to himself, channelling his anxiety into the obsessive building of a storm shelter in their backyard. His seemingly inexplicable behaviour concerns and confounds Samantha, and provokes intolerance among co-workers, friends, and neighbours. But the resulting strain on his marriage and tension within the community doesn't compare to Curtis' private fear of what his dreams may truly signify. Faced with the proposition that his disturbing visions signal disaster of one kind or another, Curtis confides in Samantha, testing the power of their bond against the highest possible stakes.
There was a lot of excitement surrounding Nichols after the release of his directorial debut Shotgun Stories - that excitement only increased with the release of Take Shelter.
While Shotgun Stories announced Nichols to the film world, Take Shelter really did establish him as one of the most exciting new directing and writing talents around. From start to finish, this is a captivating and powerful film, as well as packing a huge emotional punch.
Take Shelters walks a fine line between being a film that is dark, foreboding with a prophecy element to it was well as exploring mental health and the type of care that is available and the way that it is perceived in rural America.
Nichols creates the perfect balance between these main themes - both of which are tense and would have devastating consequences. Nichols is helped by another stunning performance from actor Michael Shannon.
Shannon's character is a man who is on the edge and is driven forward by the visions that he claims to see. He is a tortured soul who is doing the best for his family, whilst putting a strain on the family at the same time.
There is an unsettling feeling that hangs over Take Shelter from beginning to end and, at times, it really is a very uncomfortable watch. Shannon's performance elevates the film even further and there are some wonderful moments between the actor and on-screen wife Jessica Chastain, who can do nothing to help her husband.
Take Shelter premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and went on to play successfully on the festival circuit, where it was met well by critics and audiences.
The movie went on to feature heavily during the awards season, with wins at the Independent Spirit Awards and Saturn Awards along the way.
Midnight Special is released 8th April.
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