Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘They Live in the Grey’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘They Live in the Grey’.
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The phrase, ‘time heals all wounds’, is one that that still has relevance in this day and age for one reason and one reason alone. In that, it has some truth to it. Because when we deal with dark times and troubles in our lives, there does comes a point down the line… where the emotional pain begins to subside, and we seem to feel better overall about our days and our lives. But while that phrase gives us comfort and perspective, and a dash of hope when the going gets tough and we are hurting, it is a saying that glosses over a great deal when it comes to the recovery process. Because in reality, what truly heals our emotional wounds and gives us joy back… is confronting our pain and the trauma that caused it.

For only then can we truly resolve what is eating at our soul, and that... takes time, and it is the work that goes into healing our pain that coincides with the moment where the days become brighter and tolerable. But sadly… there are a great deal of folks that ignore that aspect of recovery. In fact, they stick to that advice and the mantra that we have to just… ‘tough it out’ in order to move forward, and while that may work in the short term, eventually… it comes back to haunt everyone that attempts that route, and it can lead to dangers untold psychologically as well. The kind that are destructive in nature and those dangers are of note today, simply because they are explored in the latest addition to the Shudder library, They Live in the Grey.

Now in this particular film, we are introduced to a clairvoyant woman named Claire Yang who is going through some tough times right now. For she recently lost her son Lucas in a horrible accident, one that she believes she caused, and his death has upended her life. To the point where her husband Peter, has removed himself from their home and really, the only thing keeping Claire together in the moment, is her job as a social worker. But her latest case is only going to add to her struggles. For the family she is asked to investigate is being plagued by a violent spirit, one that clearly wants something from said family and it will be up to Claire and her special gifts to solve that mystery before it is too late.

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Which is at first glance, a plot that seems mired heavily in traditional ghost stories in the vein of The Sixth Sense and there is merit to that. Since Claire can see ghosts and see how they died and that is quite frankly, how the scares come into play in this tale. Since the spirits she sees, appear out of nowhere to seemingly torment her, and their occasional normal appearance only shocks us further, as does the reveal of how they died. For that brings about gory moments that unsettle and the jump scares are simply top notch, and this is an aspect of the story that is supremely satisfying, because you can never go wrong with a good old fashioned ghost story that knows how to effectively chill an audience through and through. 
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But it is the stuff between those moments that speak to the central theme of needing to deal with one’s trauma. Because this story makes it crystal clear that Claire has buried her emotions regarding what happened to Lucas, in the false belief that somehow that will allow for time to heal her and well, that decision allows for a subtle and intricate downward spiral/cautionary journey to take place. One that sees Claire’s life fall to pieces the harder she tries to keep the past at bay and that leads to some powerful and relatable moments. The kind that genuinely teach us what will happen to our lives if we deny ourselves a confrontation with our pain and our past, and the film really does do a wonderful job of using horror elements to hammer home its powerful and stunning commentary on this matter.

If anything, it is safe to declare this horror film to be downright brilliant. Simply because it perfectly blends together the horrors of the real world with the mystique of the supernatural in a manner that is so smooth that it has something for every horror fan out there. Because it has gore for the splatter hounds, scares for those that just want to be chilled and plenty of thoughtful commentary for those want more than a ‘boo’, and even folks who want a visual feast will find something to satisfy here. Since it should be noted that the visuals in this movie are breathtaking as well, and the best part of all, is that you can watch this stunning and visceral horror film right now if you’d like. For They Live in the Grey is live on Shudder and we here at Nerds That Geek certainly hope you give this one a look. Because this one, really is something special.   

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