Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 61% of 33 critics' reviews are positive. [19] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [20]
The film opened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival to mixed reviews from critics, who noted the similarities with Coralie Fargeat's The Substance , also on the festival lineup.
IndieWire described Fargeat's film as "better and more outrageous" than Shell, but appreciated the latter film's final twist: "When it accepts its destiny as a ‘50s-style rubber-suit sci-fi monster movie, Shell does have camp value to it." [21] Bloody Disgusting , in a more positive review, acknowledged the apparent similarity between Shell and The Substance but pointed out that, in the end, "yet they couldn’t be further removed in just about every way." [22] The Hollywood Reporter highlighted the effectiveness of the film's creepy elements: "The body horror aspects are among the most interesting, injecting the film with a nice dose of violence." [23]
For TheWrap , the two main issues of the film were the pacing ("there’s something uniquely silly about Shell near the end, but it takes quite a while to get there") and the lack of boldness ("is merely a fine film that’s far too tame to completely pay off"). [24]
In a positive review, RogerEbert.com praised the movie: "The entertainment business satire elements hit the mark, the twists are solid, and Minghella harnesses a creeping sense of spiraling dread with real skill." The lead performances were also appreciated: "Elisabeth Moss puts it all out there in the leading role, working up a sparky chemistry with Kate Hudson in the picture’s Goop Gwyneth role". [25]
