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Take Shelter

Take Shelter

Far away from the cruel world.

2011120 minRMidcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Director
Jeff Nichols
Starring
Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Tova Stewart

Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Take Shelter?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Take Shelter streaming on Howdy via Prime Video, Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Take Shelter?

Take Shelter earns 9 badges, led by Top 10% of films and Standout acting.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Take Shelter worth watching?

Take Shelter's Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 243K ratings across 6 sources. 76% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

92nd percentile among Drama90th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)90th
Approval (how many liked it)86th

74 /100

90th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Drama90th percentile among 2010s

Critics 85 · Audience 73

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

76% liked it

86th percentile of all films

87th percentile among Drama87th percentile among 2010s
76% rated it 7–1024% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 80%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 32 wins / 47 noms overall

98th percentile

243K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 34% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$5M
Opening weekend$52K
Domestic gross$1.7M
Worldwide gross$3.7M

Returned 0.7× its budget — 76th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A deliberately slow, brooding psychological drama anchored by strong lead performances, about a working-class man whose apocalyptic visions may be prophecy or mental illness.

Fans praised

  • Michael Shannon's restrained yet deeply expressive lead performance
  • Haunting, atmospheric sound design and score that build dread
  • Ambiguous ending that rewards reflection on mental illness and fear

Detractors panned

  • Glacial pacing that feels padded and tedious
  • Final twist undermines the realistic drama and feels like a cheap gotcha
  • Underwritten supporting characters serve only as narrative function

What stands out

Acting92

Shannon and Chastain deliver career-best, naturalistic work

Atmosphere90

Oppressive dread and unease permeate every scene

Cinematography85

Elegant, stark Midwestern landscapes and dream imagery

TensionDivisive78

Slow-burn suspense that either grips or frustrates

CharactersDivisive70

Protagonist richly drawn; wife and friends feel thinly written

Plot and storyDivisive55

Deliberate buildup but divisive, polarizing ending

EndingDivisive45

Satisfying ambiguity for some, but widely seen as a betrayal

PacingDivisive37

Uncommonly slow; some call it effective, most call it a slog

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 17 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Take Shelter like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with unyielding seriousness, never undermining the dread, even while leaving the reality ambiguous.
The rideThe film maintains a brooding dread that escalates through the middle and peaks in the final act's storm and ambiguous resolution.
StructureThe story unfolds linearly from Curtis's first nightmare through his growing obsession to the ambiguous conclusion.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's ambiguity about the reality of Curtis's visions lingers, prompting reflection on fear and mental illness.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1% (this title)
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Inner demon: The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeCurtis battles the possibility that his apocalyptic dreams are either a prophetic warning or the onset of inherited mental illness, making the antagonist an internal force of madness and fear.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% (this title) · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 3% of filmsFaith · 3% of filmsFamily bonds
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how Curtis's fixation on a coming storm consumes his mind and threatens his family, blurring the line between prophecy and madness.
StanceThe film questions whether Curtis's obsession is prophetic insight or mental illness, without settling the answer.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanRuralWildernessRealistic
AmbientOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · David Wingo
Settinga small Ohio town under the shadow of an oncoming storm
MusicLow, droning textures and subtle percussion underscore the mounting unease.

Content guide

Is Take Shelter okay for kids?

R

Take Shelter is rated R: “Rated R for some language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (37/100), sexual content at minimal (11/100), language at moderate (51/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (26/100) and frightening material at intense (63/100). Overall it is heavier than 9% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 22 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • Argentina16
  • Denmark15
  • GreeceΚ-12
  • Israel12
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-16
  • Netherlands16
  • PortugalM/12
  • Russia18+
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland14
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 35% of all filmsHeavier than 9% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 17%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 5%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 23%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 10%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 51%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Take Shelter have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Take Shelter?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Michael Shannon
as Curtis
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jessica Chastain
as Samantha
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Shea Whigham
as Dewart
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tova Stewart
as Hannah LaForche
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Katy Mixon Greer
as Nat
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Robert Longstreet
as Jim
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ray McKinnon
as Kyle
Kathy Baker
as Sarah
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
LisaGay Hamilton
as Kendra
Jeffrey Grover
as Psychiatrist
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Take Shelter?

Movies like Take Shelter include The Gift (2000), A Kind of Murder (2016) and A History of Violence (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in a small town, and most are psychological thrillers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 12 share its subject: obsession. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Take Shelter?

678 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: slow cinema. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.