Shiva Baby Review: Embarrassing and Comedic all at Once!

Shiva Baby is a 2021 Hollywood comedy film starring Rachel Sennott as Danielle. And the story opens around her, a young Jewish woman, who leaves her sugar daddy’s house in a hurry to attend the commencement of a Shiva (Jewish period of mourning) with her parents. While nosy neighbors and family friends question about what she’s going to do with her life after college, Danielle runs into her ex-girlfriend, now heading off to law school and her sugar daddy. She now fights to keep her world from imploding.

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The first thing that stood out to me with Shiva Baby was the camerawork and setting. The entire movie was filmed at one location, Danielle’s aunt’s house which leads to the feeling that all these characters (the pieces of her life) are shut up in this enclosed space. No wonder she panics.

The camera movement does a great job of showcasing her emotions making them palpable. The use of the set was great as utilizing the various rooms in the house still allowed us to section off characters and events as they played out.

Shiva Baby was very relatable as we all know how embarrassing parents can be and how loathsome attending these kinds of events with them are. It’s also very Jewish as it showcases tropes and stereotypes in the Jewish community about nosy neighbors, family friends, and the air of competition surrounding them. It makes for a highly comedic setting that’s laced with authenticity.

We see the scrutiny and the pressures faced by young Jewish people to not only live up to their parents’ expectations but those of their parents’ friends. As with every Jewish occasion, this is an opportunity to gossip about everybody else. Their careers, their relationships, their children, their weight, or lack thereof. Rachel Sennott delivers a great performance, fully embodying her character.

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I think Shiva Baby is about the death of Danielle’s childhood. She may be physically a woman, but we see how immature and childlike she is through her character flaws. This event acts as her crossing into adulthood. It should be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and comedic all at once. Watch ‘Shiva Baby’ on MUBI here.

‘Shiva Baby’ Rating – 4/5

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