10 MORE Great Horror Movies (Nobody Ever Talks About)

Under the Shadow is a fascinating movie. Taking place during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, our story centres around a mother called Shideh and her daughter. After her husband is drafted, Shideh is forced to care for her child in their dilapidated apartment block, while the city is constantly bombed. As the war rages on, and the building begins to fall apart, it seems like things couldn't get worse.

But when Shideh discovers a malevolent Djinn has entered home, she realises she must take action before it possesses her daughter.

At this point, it's impossible not to point out the similarities between Under the Shadow and The Babadook. However, Babak Anvari's feature debut feels more visceral, due to its very real setting. Although the film doesn't shy away from the atrocities that occurred in this historic conflict, Anvari never loses focus of the mother-child dynamic.

Rather than being conventionally scary, the looming threat of the Djinn fills every scene with a relentless haunting atmosphere. The special effects for the entity, although minimal, are deeply effective. (Never in the history of cinema has a floating bedsheet looked so unsettling.)

Even though Under the Shadow was universally lauded, it made a pittance at the box-office. Luckily, it was recently bought by Netflix, allowing Under the Shadow to find the audience it should've received upon its original release.