October is the perfect time to revisit those classic thrilling tales that run chills down your spine (for a full list of what is available to stream now, check out our What’s Streaming Feature).With Halloween quickly approaching, it is time to look past the traditional werewolves and vampires, and check out the Farsi-language Iranian festival-breakout, Under the Shadow. Marrying politics of the 1980s with timeless horror, writer/director Babak Anvari’s feature-length directorial debut is a fresh take on international folklore, where spooks have no bounds.

The film begins with a title card giving historical context to clarify the situation of the characters, who are living in Tehran– the epicenter of the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980’s. Our protagonist is Shideh (Narges Rashidi), a wife, mother, and aspiring doctor, who is told she cannot continue her studies due to her previous involvement in political activities. Frustrated and resentful, Shideh finds herself at a crossroads when her husband Iraj (Bobby Naderi), a practicing doctor, is drafted by the army to aid wounded soldiers on the frontlines of battle. She ignores his pleas to take herself and their daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) to find safety out of town and instead opts to stay home alone in their modest apartment.

Strange things begin happening in the complex like an airstrike that hits the apartment, but miraculously the missile fails to explode. Soon, personal possessions begin disappearing; for daughter, Dorsa, it is her favorite doll and for Shideh, her Jane Fonda workout VHS tape. Slowly, the once strong woman, Shideh finds herself transforming into an unstable and fearful girl. Then the hallucinations begin, making it hard to differentiate reality from a nightmare. As Shideh nears brink of insanity, she learns from a superstitious neighbor that this could be the work of Djinn, Middle Eastern spirits that travel with the wind to possess unsuspecting victims. This brings up more questions than answers, but ultimately Shideh knows that she has to face whatever is tormenting her family head on for any chance of survival.

Under the Shadow has a Sixth Sense vibe in the way that it is a psychological slow burn for most of the film, but the last 20 minutes really gets the heart rate pumping. That said, there are early moments of discomfort that fully engage the audience into caring for our protagonist. For example, Shideh choosing to stay in the house alone is the equivalent of the stereotypical scenario of a girl walking home alone through the woods at night, an obviously bad idea! Our stomach is in knots as we foreshadow the events to come, and with credit to director Babak Anvari, the events that do come are unexpected. There are no cheap tricks or forced emotional pulls here, rather, good old-fashioned mind games.

It is no surprise why Under the Shadow has been a festival favorite; not only does it take the horror genre to new heights by introducing Western audiences to Djinn, the haunting fairytale from the Quran, but it also has this refreshing feeling of a genre film done right. Narges Rashidi takes command as Shideh and her performance is powerfully affecting. Not to be out “shadowed” is her 9-year-old co-star Avin Manshadi, who makes her acting debut in this film. Solid performances coupled with an equally powerful script gives Under the Shadow all the necessary ingredients to be a staple in the horror film catalog.

‘Under the Shadow’ is rated PG-13 for terror, scary images, and brief language. 84 minutes. In theaters at Sundance Sunset Cinema and on VoD tomorrow, October 7th.