Horror and romance don’t necessarily go together. Like water and oil, the two genres seem to repel each other, unable to really mesh together in a way that makes sense. Even if a couple manages to get together and live happily ever after, they’re often just moments away from getting slashed to bits or thrown out a bay window by an unruly spirit. It’s difficult to pull off, but should it be done well, it results in a genuinely compelling story that takes the best from both respective genres. Danish filmmaker Gabriel Bier Gislason aims to do just that and makean effective horror romancein his upcoming Shudder-exclusive film,Attachment.
Taking an unconventional approach to both romance and horror, Gislason explained in an interview withCineuropathat his film takes notable inspiration from Jewish folklore. It’s an interesting approach, especially considering that the film’s horror elements will be in service of its love story, instead of vice versa. Seeing as how Shudder’s previous investments in non-traditional horror have paid off tremendously, the most recent example being the financial-hitSkinamarink, we’re anxious to see whatAttachmentholds in store for horror fans.
This is everything we know about Shudder’sAttachment.
Attachment: The Plot
The official plot synopsis ofAttachmentprovided by Shudder is as follows.
“ATTACHMENT is a horror romance about Maja, a has-been actress in Denmark, who falls in love with Leah, a young, Jewish academic visiting from the UK. When Leah suffers a mysterious seizure, Maja fears their whirlwind romance might be cut short and decides to follow Leah back to her home in London. There, Maja meets her new downstairs neighbour: Leah’s mother, Chana. An overbearing, seemingly religious and highly secretive woman, Chana seems resistant to all of Maja’s attempts to win her over. And as Maja notices strange occurrences in the building, she begins to suspect that Chana’s secrets could be much darker than first anticipated.”
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If you omitted the last sentence, you’d be forgiven for thinking thatAttachmentwas a more traditional romance story. Adding horror elements to the setup allowsAttachmentto hopefully stand out from a slew of generic love stories, putting not just the relationship between Leah and Maja at risk, but possibly their lives on top of it. A potential downside of this, however, is that the cast will have to pull double-duty in being compelling characters across two distinct, emotionally-charged genres. From the brief glimpses we see of Maja, Leah, and Chana in the trailer, we thankfully have a good first impression of their full performances.
An interesting scene from the trailer involves Maja visiting a rabbi named Lev in order to gain some insight into “how to do Jewish stuff.” Maja is the perfect insert for an audience that may not necessarily be aware of thehorror elements in folklore, as superstitions in Jewish culture aren’t nearly as commonly recognized as those from, say, Christianity. It also gives us a glimpse into the film’s sense of humor, as the interaction results in an awkward exchange between the two.
If you’re expecting a funhouse of scares, you may want to look elsewhere.Attachmentlooks to be taking a moresubtle approach to its terror, utilizing a heavy emphasis on Jewish folklore and the entities contained within it. However, if you want a genuinely compelling horror film with characters you actually want to see survive,Attachmentshould be on your radar.
Attachment: The Cast
The lead roles of Maja and Leah will be played by Josephine Park and Ellie Kendrick, respectively. Park, being a Danish actor, may be unfamiliar to those who don’t watch Danish productions. Nonetheless, she’s had a prolific career across a variety of television shows, ranging from the raunchyDoggystyleto the grim thriller seriesDarkness: Those Who Kill.She’s played a wide range of characters in her previous roles, which will hopefully result in a compelling performance inAttachment. Kendrick, conversely, will likely be recognized by fans ofGames of Thronesas Meera Reed or Taelia Fordragon from theWorld of Warcraftseries.
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Additional cast members include David Dencik, who previously appeared in HBO’sChernobylandNo Time to Die,and Sofie Gråbøl, who appeared in Lars van Trier’sThe House That Jack Builtand Prime Video’sFortitude, as well as narrating the Danish dub ofMarch of the Penguins. Gråbøl will be playing the role of Leah’s mother, Chana, while Dencik will be playing the rabbi Lev. Katrine Jensenius, Lado Hadzic, Hana Shuan, Sevik Perl, Elinor Znaider, and Filippa Marcella Olesen Olsson will also be playing minor roles inAttachment.
Release Date
Attachmentwillpremiere exclusively on Shudderon February 9.
Everything Else We Know
Attachmentwill mark director Gabriel Bier Gislason’s feature-film debut. ShouldAttachmentdo well, we may see an uptick inlove stories with horror themeshitting the streaming market.
Attachmentwill feature both Danish and English performances, particularly from Maja and Chana.
