A nest is a safe space for animals — a contrivance of comfort for birds, mammals, and reptiles alike, where they go for rest and hibernation after a long day of hunting and gathering — but what happens when that nest, that Haven of rest and relaxation, turns into something sinister? This is the question that looms over Juanfer Andrés and Esteban Roel’s 2014 directorial effort, Shrew’s Nest (original title, Musarañas).
Set mostly in an apartment in Spain sometime in the 1950s, the movie follows Montse (Macarena Gómez), our titular shrew, a hyper-religious woman suffering from such severe agoraphobia that it prevents her from leaving her apartment. She makes a living from home as a seamstress, making dresses for women in her neighbourhood. The opening scenes thrust the viewer into Montse’s fragile emotional and mental state as she violently reprimands her eighteen-year-old sister, Nadia de Santiago. Montse, grappling with a fraught relationship, lashes out at her for staying out late one night and angrily blames her for their mother’s death. This intense outburst occurs within the first 15 minutes of the movie, setting the stage for what is to come.
The Nest
The story ramps up when, the following day, Carlos (Hugo Silva), a neighbour who lives in a flat above theirs, crawls in front of their door with an injured, bloody leg, hiding a lot of secrets. Montse takes him in, seemingly harboring a crush on him, and soon, the line between guest and hostage begins to blur.
Rather than an eerie ambience and a score that fills the viewer with dread — as is the case for a lot of horror movies, this movie instead opts for a plain, desaturated, slightly bluish colour grading — the kind that would typically be found in a teen coming of age movie from the mid-2010s. With most of the jump scares and bloody scenes taking place in broad daylight, the movie largely relies on the intense performances of its cast, especially Macarena Gómez, to convey the story’s horrific nature. A creative choice that works perfectly in this movie.
At its core, Shrew’s Nest unfolds as a family drama that explores serious issues through a horror lens. It tackles themes like child abuse and parental neglect, examining how these experiences shape individuals and influence their interactions with the world. The film handles these issues with care, grounding the story and creating an entertaining and intriguing experience.
