SHIVA BABY

Emma Seligman’s SHIVA BABY takes place almost entirely inside a Jewish mourning gathering, but it's so much more than just a one setting "chamber" comedy. It borrows the pressure and pacing of a horror film, turning overlapping conversations, family expectations, and social embarrassment into a tightly contained nightmare of public exposure. Ariel Marx’s score is a big part of that effect, pushing ordinary interactions into a state of near panic.

What makes the film so memorable is that it's also very funny. Rachel Sennott’s performance sits at the centre of a rhythm built from awkward pauses, repeated questions, evasive answers, and the specific cruelty of being trapped in a room full of people who all think they know you. We've all been there! Sennott's comic timing, paired with Seligman's ability to turn social ritual into something that's painfully recognisable makes this film all the more genuinely hilarious.

Part of the film’s reputation also comes from how specifically it's drawn. Its Jewish setting is not decorative background but the engine of the whole piece, and its handling of queerness, self-presentation, and generational pressure gives the film an identity that feels unusually fresh for a debut.