This week, writer-director David Cronenberg’s latest film, The Shrouds, arrives on Blu-ray, courtesy of Criterion. The film stars Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, and Guy Pearce, and marks a notable tonal shift from much of Cronenberg’s earlier, more visceral work. While it still carries traces of his signature fascination with the intersection of flesh and technology, The Shrouds feels far more somber and introspective — a deeply personal project born from grief and reflection. Cronenberg has described the film as a response to the death of his wife of 43 years, Carolyn Zeifman, who passed away from cancer. That emotional core is what gives The Shrouds its quiet, mournful resonance.
Set four years after the loss of his wife, the story follows Karsh Relikh (Cassel), a brilliant but haunted entrepreneur who creates a company called GraveTech — a cutting-edge enterprise that allows the bereaved to maintain a macabre connection with their departed loved ones. Through GraveTech’s technology, mourners can view a live 3D feed of the decomposition process of the deceased, streamed directly from their tombstones to personal devices. It’s a provocative and unsettling concept, perfectly in line with Cronenberg’s lifelong obsession with the marriage of biology and machinery.
Despite his success, Karsh remains trapped in grief, unable to move on from his late wife, Becca. His closest companion has become her twin sister, Terry (Kruger), whose presence blurs the boundaries between comfort and disquiet. Adding further tension to the dynamic is Maury (Pearce), Terry’s ex-husband, who finds himself reluctantly drawn into Karsh’s orbit when a disturbing act of vandalism strikes the GraveTech cemetery. Together, they attempt to uncover whether the attack was politically motivated — perhaps a protest against the intrusion of technology into death — or something far more personal.
Cronenberg has always been fascinated by the symbiosis between human flesh and technology, often exploring it in provocative and unsettling ways. The Shrouds continues that exploration, but in a quieter, more reflective register. It’s less about the grotesque transformation of the body and more about the psychological disintegration that accompanies loss.
While the film’s themes are fascinating, The Shrouds struggles with pacing. It unfolds at a deliberate, often sluggish tempo that occasionally drifts into tedium — even for those familiar with Cronenberg’s measured storytelling style. Cassel delivers a strong, emotionally grounded performance that captures Karsh’s anguish and obsession, yet even his intensity isn’t always enough to sustain momentum through the film’s more languid stretches.
Still, there’s no denying that The Shrouds is a deeply personal and sincere work. Cronenberg seems less interested in shocking his audience than in inviting them to meditate on mortality, love, and the ways technology reshapes our experience of both. For longtime fans of the filmmaker, the film is certainly worth watching, if only to witness this intimate evolution of his ideas. Just don’t expect the visceral energy of eXistenZ or the clinical precision of Dead Ringers — The Shrouds is Cronenberg at his most human and haunted.
Special Features:
- Meet the Filmmakers: David Cronenberg, a Criterion Channel original interview
- Trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Notes by critic Beatrice Loayza
By: Marc Ferman
