Justin Chang

It's a thriller steeped in techno-paranoia. To get to the bottom of the vandalism, Karsh enlists the help of Terry's ex-husband, a computer whiz played by an unnervingly twitchy Guy Pearce. Karsh also relies on an AI personal assistant, voiced by, you guessed it, Kruger again, who doesn't seem entirely trustworthy.

It's a thriller steeped in techno-paranoia. To get to the bottom of the vandalism, Karsh enlists the help of Terry's ex-husband, a computer whiz played by an unnervingly twitchy Guy Pearce. Karsh also relies on an AI personal assistant, voiced by, you guessed it, Kruger again, who doesn't seem entirely trustworthy.

There are whispers that the vandals are aligned with shadowy Russian and or Chinese forces, hinting at a mass data theft conspiracy that may or may not exist. The Shrouds never fully coheres as a mystery. In the end, it's an intriguing but not especially satisfying puzzle. I didn't mind that about it. Cronenberg isn't out to provide easy answers.

There are whispers that the vandals are aligned with shadowy Russian and or Chinese forces, hinting at a mass data theft conspiracy that may or may not exist. The Shrouds never fully coheres as a mystery. In the end, it's an intriguing but not especially satisfying puzzle. I didn't mind that about it. Cronenberg isn't out to provide easy answers.

There are whispers that the vandals are aligned with shadowy Russian and or Chinese forces, hinting at a mass data theft conspiracy that may or may not exist. The Shrouds never fully coheres as a mystery. In the end, it's an intriguing but not especially satisfying puzzle. I didn't mind that about it. Cronenberg isn't out to provide easy answers.

He's saying that we live in such a 24-7 internet fog now, who knows what could be out there, mining the most human and vulnerable parts of ourselves, our habits, our yearnings, our relationships. This isn't a new theme for Cronenberg. He's always been fascinated by the way technology alters our minds and even our bodies.

He's saying that we live in such a 24-7 internet fog now, who knows what could be out there, mining the most human and vulnerable parts of ourselves, our habits, our yearnings, our relationships. This isn't a new theme for Cronenberg. He's always been fascinated by the way technology alters our minds and even our bodies.

He's saying that we live in such a 24-7 internet fog now, who knows what could be out there, mining the most human and vulnerable parts of ourselves, our habits, our yearnings, our relationships. This isn't a new theme for Cronenberg. He's always been fascinated by the way technology alters our minds and even our bodies.

In his 1983 classic Videodrome, the director inserted a Betamax cassette into his protagonist's torso, literalizing the idea of what TV is doing to us. The Shrouds isn't nearly as graphic, but it doesn't have to be. It's set in a world where most of us have all but fused with our phones already. All of which is to say that this seemingly death-obsessed movie...

In his 1983 classic Videodrome, the director inserted a Betamax cassette into his protagonist's torso, literalizing the idea of what TV is doing to us. The Shrouds isn't nearly as graphic, but it doesn't have to be. It's set in a world where most of us have all but fused with our phones already. All of which is to say that this seemingly death-obsessed movie...

In his 1983 classic Videodrome, the director inserted a Betamax cassette into his protagonist's torso, literalizing the idea of what TV is doing to us. The Shrouds isn't nearly as graphic, but it doesn't have to be. It's set in a world where most of us have all but fused with our phones already. All of which is to say that this seemingly death-obsessed movie...

about grief and desire and the unsettling power of technology to assuage them, is also a movie about life and the way more than a few of us live now.

about grief and desire and the unsettling power of technology to assuage them, is also a movie about life and the way more than a few of us live now.

about grief and desire and the unsettling power of technology to assuage them, is also a movie about life and the way more than a few of us live now.

When The Shrouds premiered at film festivals last year, David Cronenberg described it as his most personal work. a deeply felt response to the death of his longtime wife from cancer in 2017. The movie is about a man named Karsh, who lost his wife, Rebecca, to cancer four years earlier. That's not the only similarity.

When The Shrouds premiered at film festivals last year, David Cronenberg described it as his most personal work. a deeply felt response to the death of his longtime wife from cancer in 2017. The movie is about a man named Karsh, who lost his wife, Rebecca, to cancer four years earlier. That's not the only similarity.

When The Shrouds premiered at film festivals last year, David Cronenberg described it as his most personal work. a deeply felt response to the death of his longtime wife from cancer in 2017. The movie is about a man named Karsh, who lost his wife, Rebecca, to cancer four years earlier. That's not the only similarity.

If you know what Cronenberg looks like, you'll see that Karsh, played by Vincent Cassell with a silvery shock of hair, resembles the director. Maybe not a dead ringer, but close enough to give you a chill and a bit of a chuckle. That's the thing about the shrouds. It's deeply morbid and sad, but it's also disarmingly funny.

If you know what Cronenberg looks like, you'll see that Karsh, played by Vincent Cassell with a silvery shock of hair, resembles the director. Maybe not a dead ringer, but close enough to give you a chill and a bit of a chuckle. That's the thing about the shrouds. It's deeply morbid and sad, but it's also disarmingly funny.

If you know what Cronenberg looks like, you'll see that Karsh, played by Vincent Cassell with a silvery shock of hair, resembles the director. Maybe not a dead ringer, but close enough to give you a chill and a bit of a chuckle. That's the thing about the shrouds. It's deeply morbid and sad, but it's also disarmingly funny.