After a routine, transactional sexual encounter with her sugar daddy, Max (Danny Deferrari), college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) rushes to a shiva – a Jewish mourning gathering buzzing with the local elite. However, this time, the usual barrage of questions about her love life, career, and future plans are the least of her worries. Not only does Danielle’s ex-girlfriend, the universally adored Maya (Molly Gordon), unexpectedly show up, but so does Max, accompanied by his infant child and his stunningly successful and beautiful wife – a family Danielle had no idea existed. Over the course of the shiva, Danielle must navigate nosy neighbors, lingering feelings for her ex, and her deceitful lover, all while desperately trying to maintain her composure.
Rachel Sennott as Danielle in “Shiva Baby”
A Debut Born From a Short
Like many directorial debuts from American filmmakers in the last decade, “Shiva Baby” evolved from a short film of the same name. This origin is apparent; at times, it feels as though the creator is repeating herself, forcing Danielle into yet another exasperating conversation simply to stretch the runtime. On the other hand, “Shiva Baby” is an exemplary case of a young filmmaker revisiting and expanding a deeply personal story into a feature-length film. Seligman’s debut isn’t just a rehash of old material, but a refinement of her directorial and screenwriting skills. The highest praise for the young director is that her 80-minute film feels like a short – flying by as quickly as its eight-minute source material.
Danny Deferrari as Max in “Shiva Baby”
A Tense and Uncomfortable Comedy
Emma Seligman’s debut can best be described by comparing it to other films centered around Jewish characters and traditions. Imagine a blend of the absurd hopelessness of the Coen brothers’ “A Serious Man,” the nonconformity and taboo-breaking of Sebastián Lelio’s “Disobedience,” and the anxious, tense atmosphere of the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems.” That’s “Shiva Baby” – a thoroughly Jewish, uncomfortable comedy bordering on a claustrophobic thriller and horror film. It captivates viewers while simultaneously making them want to step away from the screen and breathe after the cringe-inducing ordeal. This is the film’s main strength and weakness: some viewers will be charmed by the farce, the claustrophobia, and the unsettling atmosphere, while others simply won’t be able to endure the relentless torment of a character who doesn’t deserve it.
More Than Just a Jewish Comedy
“Shiva Baby” isn’t a statement film about a toxic religious community that smiles to your face but gleefully criticizes you behind your back simply because you don’t conform and are trying to find your own path. Instead, it’s a film of representation – of Jewish bisexual women with sugar daddies, and of naive, insecure, and confused twenty-somethings who have seemingly cut the cord and become independent from their parents, but still need someone to lend a helping hand. Perhaps that’s why, if the film achieves cult status, as many predict, it won’t be as a niche Jewish comedy, but as a universal and relatable coming-of-age story that, after 80 minutes of torment, offers viewers one of the most optimistic and honest endings in recent years.