From director David Cronenberg, comes a unique masterpiece where science and technology create a new form of suspense. The Shrouds is by far one of the most invigorating portraits where evolutions of technology are in advance of greater things. The writing and setup are so clear in its context of an environment of artificial intelligence and a lot of connectivity that is out of this world. Cronenberg has always had an eye for making films that are ahead of their time. While creating his many projects he always develops a twist or multilayers for perspective…everything happens for a reason. Karma is woven into a theme of growth that mingles with other detrimental factors—The Shrouds is unstoppable.

I have had many of my Cronenberg experiences on the big screen. They were moments that were meant to be in that format. I felt I was in the TV world of Videodrome at the Music Box Theatre. I felt like I was in the many car scenarios of Crash at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and I came face-to-face with a restored print of A History of Violence at Doc Films Chicago. All these moments were ones restored in 4k or presented in film. Cronenberg’s eye for directing  have always unveiled cinematic wonders for me and reminded me to remember to go into his films with an open-mind. A very wide “open mind” is essential with The Shrouds.

The Shrouds brings the viewer many years into the future. Its main character is Karsh (played by Vincent Cassel). He is a widower and owner of a graveyard company called Grave Tech. He sells his clients grave sites and tombstones to view the remains once they are buried. Karsh overlooks the remains of his deceased wife, Becca (played by Diane Kruger). He examines her body decaying and her bone structure. This is his coping mechanism to help him deal with his loss. While moving forward he looks to expand his business as the world evolveswith the growth of different technologies. His sister-in-law is Becca’s twin sister, Terry (also played by Kruger). His other family connection is Maury (played by Guy Pearce). As Karsh is grieving, he is also working to utilize his grief to better his business at Grave Tech. 

The scientific blend of continuity is top-notch and surreal in The Shrouds. The lines of new generations are in the works when suddenly everything changes when Karsh’s cemetery is attacked. With Maury, he tries to put together the pieces of technological elements to find the answers.  Maury is adept with coding and decrypting aspects. The Shrouds becomes a search for conspiracy while also maintaining professionalism. However, Karsh’s ego and loss begin to alter his choices, especially when it comes to how he puts his own technology to use. 

The search for answers is where the film becomes a thrill ride of connectivity and rivalry. Cronenberg pushes the aspects of ownership to the extreme in The Shrouds. With the technology of Karsh being altered to observe his deceased wife, he begins to backlog who he is associated with to paint a better picture of what happened. He wants to get an understanding of what he might be dealing with in a time when the minds of professions and politics are altered. Cronenberg presents the pattern of self-creation and entrepreneurship to fulfill a destiny of peril.

There is the saying in the film which goes, “visceral urge!” This is saying is one that I felt throughout The Shrouds. I felt this perspective in a tone that is two-sided. One side had me wondering about Karsh’s grief, and the other about who he is associated with. Becca’s death impacts him in a subtle yet enticing matter. On the other hand, he has many political factors to take into consideration of what he might be dealing with. The connection to countries such as Japan, Iceland, and others playsa political role in his partnership aspects. His grief is one that is presented to bring modernization to more places. Deep down though, there are a lot of other problems he may not be aware of. The Shrouds has a pattern of questioning its characterizations  ina haunting direction.

With all the underlying factors weaving suspense in a universe far into the future, this is one of the most resource-focused films I’ve seen from Cronenberg. Many questions will surface throughout this extraordinary and thought-provoking journey. What is right about Karsh’s choices? How trustworthy are Karsh’s actions? What resources have stronger correlations? Cronenberg’s writing creates depth in the character of Karsh being determined to make science come alive through the heart of lost ones and create an existence of connectivity.

The Shrouds is one of the most abrasive and vivid works of creativity that I have seen from Cronenberg.  The grieving aspect is what is abstract, because science and evolving technology (after the death of a loved one) turn the tables rapidly. Its writing generates a feeling of disconnect which fuelstones of something sinister. A lot of this is portrayed through the performances of Cassel, Pearce, and Kruger—they are the ones at the center who are connected most to what is bound to be impacted.  The Shrouds is a story of a race for answers in a world where politics and many professions are blindsided by the pace of technology. It is a thriller where the moral is to trust no one, and do not look back. Four out four stars for The Shrouds.