Shiva Baby (2020) Review

Title: Shiva Baby
Year: 2020
Director: Emma Seligman
Country: US 
Language: English

In September 2020 I decided to watch 10 films for the Calgary Film Festival. Due to the ongoing pandemic, a large part of the festival was online, although geo-blocked to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and my province, Manitoba. This picture, Shiva Baby also played at Toronto International Film Festival earlier during the same month. However, it was almost 3x the cost ($9 vs. $26).

At a Jewish funeral service with her parents, a college student named Daniel (Rachel Sennot) runs into her sugar daddy (Danny Defferari)

Shiva Baby is a great film to watch during a pandemic. Nearly the entirety of the film takes place during a crowded family funeral where nobody is social distancing and weird relatives, who Daniel likely rarely sees, are too touchy feely. As our main character navigates through countless aunts and uncles, we can easily sympathize with her plight.

Ariel Marx's anxiety inducing score, which consists of staccato guitar strings and high key piano notes, adds to the claustrophobic and tense atmosphere. Shiva Baby is a comedy, by the way, in the vein as a Woody Allen flick. Much of the humour comes from quick witted conversations and increasingly awkward moments. "Do you want to hold our baby?" the wife of Danielle's sugar daddy asks.

Shiva Baby is an awkward, sex positive, lgbtt film that, while likely not getting the mainstream attention it deserves, will be considered a great comedy. As cringe inducing as some scenes were, I found myself laughing hysterically while the film built up to a surprisingly touching climax. This picture is much needed in 2020.