‘Shell’ aims to take some comedically horrific jabs at beauty standards, Hollywood hypocrisy and rich types putting their faith in dodgy technology, yet the stew of different ideas never quite gels.
And in a world in which ‘The Substance’ exists, it looks all the more an example of skin-deep satire.
Writer Jack Stanley’s previous credits include Netflix action thriller ‘Lou’ and 2023’s ‘The Passenger’ and ‘Shell’ follows a familiar pattern for his script work –– a decent idea somewhat undercut by a descent into trope and familiar plot turns.
As director, Max Minghella finds some entertaining moments, but the overall effect is somewhat hindered by a lack of grasp on tone and some very predictable points being made.
Moss’s ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ connection to Minghella might explain her presence in this when she’s otherwise normally known for more complex and intriguing stories. But she’s perfectly fine in the role of an actress suffering the slings and arrows of a near-future Hollywood.
Kate Hudson, meanwhile, has a largely predictable role as a seemingly beneficent owner of the eponymous beauty company who turns out –– to surely no-one’s surprise –– be harboring some dangerous secrets.
Both the leads do solid work, but neither can really prevent it from going off the rails in the final act.
The themes presented in ‘Shell’ are worth repeating; it’s just a shame that the movie has a very basic view on them all. There’s some gloopy body horror to be had, but it’s a minor effort in the genre.
Desperate to reclaim her career, once-beloved actress Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss) is drawn into the glamorous world of wellness mogul Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson)—only to uncover a monstrous truth beneath its flawless surface.
Who is in the cast of ‘Shell’?
Elisabeth Moss as Samantha Lake
Kate Hudson as Zoe Shannon
Arian Moayed as Dr. Hubert
Kaia Gerber as Chloe Benson
Este Haim as Lydia Elizabeth Berkley as Jenna Janero Amy Landecker as Detective Flores Lionel Boyce as Detective Abramson
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Elisabeth Moss about her work on ‘Shell’, her first reaction to the screenplay, her character’s arc, the challenges of being an actress in Hollywood, why she thinks this is one of Kate Hudson’s best performances and what it was like being directed by her friend Max Minghella.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Elisabeth Moss: I thought the script was so fantastic. Max sent it to me after I literally texted him and said, “When are you going to ask me to do a movie with you?” So, I basically shamelessly asked for a job. He sent me the script that he had been thinking about sending to me, but he was worried I wouldn’t like it, and then I’d have to say no, and then it would be awkward on set. But thank God because I loved it. It was just so unusual and interesting and funny. I think for me as Samantha, I think there are a lot of parts that I play that are very dramatic and that’s great and I love that. Obviously, I gravitate towards that. Like, it’s my fault. But I love comedy and I love being able to have a sense of humor and do something a little bit different. She’s probably closer to me in a lot of ways and I’ve also been an actress for 37 years. So, I understand what it’s like to be an actor and I understand what it’s like to be struggling. I understand what it’s like to not get jobs. I’ve not gotten jobs for far longer than I have gotten jobs. So that feeling of being an actor in LA. is something that I’m very familiar with. So, it was fun to kind of be able to tap into that.
MF: Can you talk about the difficulties Samantha is having with her career when she starts her treatment at Shell, and how that changes her life in both good and bad ways?
EM: So, as I’m sure you and your readers are familiar with, there is an idea of how one is supposed to look like as an actress in Hollywood. It’s changing, which is great, and there are so many incredible, talented actors, and actresses of all different shapes and sizes, but there is still, I think, this idea of beauty that exists just in the world. As you age, it gets harder, and the parts get less. Again, that is changing as well, which is awesome, but it is a thing. There’s this like constant search for youth in our society. So, anything that brings us that, whether it’s the latest thing of putting whatever on your face, you should put on your face. It’s so believable that if you found some treatment that made you look whatever your ideal age was, I mean, everybody would sign up for it. It’s very relatable. So, I felt like that was something that even though it’s very tongue-in-cheek and it’s quite broad some of the comedy and some of the horror elements as well, it’s meant to be camp, but at the same time, it’s not that far off from putting snails on your face.
MF: Can you talk about the friendship Samantha begins with Zoe and why she is drawn to her as a person and role model?
EM: I think it’s what we all find incredibly attractive and how we all feel about Kate Hudson. When I came on and then Kate came up as a possibility, I remember it was just the coolest, best idea because she is that person that is so aspirational. She’s obviously stunning. She’s also talented and she’s unique and my being starstruck by her was not that different from Samantha. I remember saying to Max, “I literally have to do no acting here”. I can’t believe I’m about to meet Kate Hudson or I can’t believe I’m talking to Kate Hudson. She’s an icon and just that girl that you want to be, you know, she’s got that thing. She’s got that It-Factor and always has.
MF: What was Kate Hudson like to have as a scene partner?
EM: I think this is honestly one of her best performances. It was remarkable getting to watch her. She’s always been considered incredibly talented from the very beginning. We all know that, but I think she’s pulling out even more complicated and interesting work than we’ve ever seen from her. I mean, I think that’s universally acknowledged. So, it was super fun. She’s very adventurous, fearless, and she works incredibly hard. I think that’s the thing that most actors find is that the best actors work hard. They work on their lines, and they want to do it again or they’re not satisfied with that take, and they want to try something else. They want direction and they want notes. The best actors really work at it. She does not rest on her laurels. She is not somebody who’s like, “I’m a movie star. I’m just going to do what I want to do and you’re just going to enjoy it.” She really tries to push herself.
MF: Finally, you worked with Max Minghella as an actor on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ but what was it like being directed by your friend on this film?
EM: It was very seamless, honesty. We’re close friends, Max and I, we talk about movies all the time. We talk about TV shows all the time. We’re kind of very similar to people in a lot of ways. I’ve directed him, obviously, and I’ve worked with him for years before I started directing him. So, he’s been on set with me a lot, you know? So, he knows what works for me and that there’s no ego. There’s pussy footing around. There’s no being careful with each other. It’s very easy to just be like, “Can we just do this?” Or like, “What do you think about this?” And he would also ask me questions and get my help with things or get my opinion on things. It’s very collaborative. It was seamless. We literally could have walked from one set where he was directing to the next room where I was, and it would have been completely seamless.
Desperate to reclaim her career, once-beloved actress Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss) is drawn into the glamorous world of wellness mogul Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson)—only to uncover a monstrous truth beneath its flawless surface.
John Krasinski in ‘Fountain of Youth,’ premiering May 23, 2025 on Apple TV+.
There was a time in the 1990s when big-name actors could be tempted outside their usual attempts to win awards with challenging dramatic work and have some fun appearing in rip-roaring adventures after ancient artifacts, dodging life-threatening peril and trading quips.
And before that, the 1980s brought us all manner of satisfying throwback adventures, led by the immaculately directed delights of the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise. These days, the genre tends to paddle in the shallow end of straight-to-home entertainment releases or, as in the case of ‘Fountain of Youth,’ streaming.
But can this new offering live up to that grand tradition?
Script and Direction
(L to R) Director Guy Ritchie and star John Krasinski behind-the-scenes of ‘Fountain of Youth,’ premiering May 23, 2025 on Apple TV+.
A big issue with the new movie lies in its script. Crafted by James Vanderbilt, whose career has swung wildly between the acclaimed likes of ‘Zodiac,’ the fun action nonsense of ‘White House Down’ and misbegotten misfires including ‘Independence Day: Resurgence,’ this new ‘Fountain’ sputters more than it should.
Vanderbilt cobbles together a blend of the aforementioned Indy franchise entries, the more high-tech and fight-orientated world of ‘Mission: Impossible’ and the “path to something important hidden within esoterica” plot fuel of Dan Brown.
Yet it’s not a mixture that always works. Yes, there are the requisite globe-trotting action sequences, a few moments of entertaining banter for the leads and of course some twists and turns, but it’s all so off the peg, an uncomfortable patchwork of seen-it-before wannabe thrills and lucky escapes.
It’s all very well to try and stand on the shoulders of giants –– we see you, veiled reference to Doctor Jones in the name of Krasinski and Portman’s characters’ name: Harrison Purdue –– but you have to have something innovate in exchange. This new outing doesn’t ever hit that stride.
How many times can our heroes stumble on their latest clue, only to be ambushed by their antagonists, and then turn things around for a lucky (and more than one instance, logic-defying) escape? If the evidence of ‘Fountain of Youth’ is to be believed, it’s many more times than is believable, and indeed it all becomes tiring by the end.
(L to R) Natalie Portman, Benjamin Chivers, John Krasinski, Domhnall Gleeson and Michael Epp in ‘Fountain of Youth,’ premiering May 23, 2025 on Apple TV+.
Guy Ritchie, meanwhile, has been a genre-hopping directorial journeyman for some time now, but seems to flourish when he’s given full reign to embrace his violent, jokey style as seen in recent Netflix series ‘The Gentlemen.’
Here, it’s as if he’s working with kid gloves on; while he’s certainly produced effective, family-friendly material in the past, this is a poor example of him toning himself down. A few of the set pieces are solid with some diverting stunts, but all in all, this is a blandly clockwork chore.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Natalie Portman, John Krasinski, Domhnall Gleeson, Carmen Ejogo and Laz Alonso in ‘Fountain of Youth,’ premiering May 23, 2025 on Apple TV+.
While you can absolutely imagine John Krasinski seeing this as solid extension to his nice-guy-turned-action-hero brand after years spent playing Jack Ryan, the character of treasure hunter Luke Purdue only sometimes works to his strengths.
Krasinski certainly doesn’t lack for charisma and he sells some of the cheesier lines; he’s also decent when it comes to the action (again, partly thanks to his time as Ryan).
And when he and Natalie Portman are trading sibling barbs, the movie feels like it more lives up to its promise, the pair sharing some entertaining on-screen family chemistry.
Portman is a more surprising performer to show up in a movie like this, though we imagine the appeal of having fun on set with Krasinski and a solid Apple-backed payday is probably more the reason she took the gig rather than something she saw in the script.
Eiza González in ‘Fountain of Youth,’ premiering May 23, 2025 on Apple TV+.
As the third main character, Eiza González does just enough to make her relatively stock badass character watchable –– she’s also effective when it comes to the action, but as one of the “protectors” looking to stop Luke on his mission for seemingly noble reasons, it’s not always enough to overcome a generic role.
Likewise Domhnall Gleeson, who has little to do as Owen Carver, the ailing rich mogul bankrolling Luke’s search. Gleeson has a couple of moments, but it’s largely a waste of a decent actor.
Still, he comes off better than Laz Alonso and Carmen Ejogo, who play Murph and Deb, Luke’s support team. They’re mostly there to deliver the exposition, and that’s usually provided in big, ungainly lumps around tables.
Beyond a few memorable moments as driven Interpol agent Abbas, Arian Moayed likewise is given little chance to shine.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) John Krasinski, Domhnall Gleeson and Natalie Portman in ‘Fountain of Youth,’ premiering May 23, 2025 on Apple TV+.
Does ‘Fountain of Youth’ keep the flame of fun adventure movies from the 1980s and 1990s burning? Not really.
This is a less-than-thrilling example of the genre which certainly starts promisingly and has a few decent lines or moments here and there (fans of ‘Knight Rider’ might be happy at one, and no, we don’t mean The Hoff shows up), but it’s not enough to keep it from feeling stale.
You could certainly watch this. But you’d choose… poorly.
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What’s the story of ‘Fountain of Youth’?
The new movie follows two estranged siblings (John Krasinski and Natalie Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth.
They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives… and possibly lead to immortality.
In an era when adult dramas and comedies have a hard time finding space between giant franchise behemoths crowding the multiplex, it’s reassuring to know that ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ represents the latest reliable low-key laugh-grabber from Holofcener, who specializes in stories of characters obsessed with their emotional and life status, whose worlds are thrown for a loop by unexpected circumstances.
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What’s the story of ‘You Hurt My Feelings’?
The film charts the emotional rollercoaster of married couple Louis-Dreyfus’ Beth (a writer whose memoir was published to some acclaim and whose latest book, a work of fiction, is still in progress) and Don (Tobias Menzies), a therapist who is losing faith in his ability to counsel his increasingly dissatisfied patients and in his own appearance.
Their seemingly happy, if slightly rut-riding marriage is plunged into disarray when Beth overhears Don telling brother-in-law Mark (Arian Moayed) that he doesn’t really like her new novel after reading many drafts. Stunned, Beth begins to question whether he’s ever truly been honest with her, and how real she has been with others in her life, including sister Sarah (Michaela Watkins) and son Eliot (Owen Teague), an aspiring writer himself currently biding his time managing a New York cannabis store.
As the ripples of the unlikely drama spread out through both partners’ work and family groups, real truths start to swim to the surface of this seemingly happy relationship.
Jeannie Berlin as Georgia in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’
The biggest advantage that ‘Feelings’ has –– beyond Holofcener’s typically incisive, funny script and subtle direction –– is her welcome reunion with Louis-Dreyfus after 2013’s ‘Enough Said’. She may have some way to go to be a Holofcener collaborator on the scale of, say, Catherine Keener, but the two have clearly found a solid vibe.
As Beth, Louis-Dreyfus switches tracks from (mostly) contented wife and mother to puddle of neuroses, perfectly conveying the sort of nervy artistic character yearning for approval from those around them and saddled with a mother (Berlin’s Georgia is more of a standard character type but gives her layers) who is never quite satisfied. Louis-Dreyfus sells every moment of Beth’s journey, turning what could be a frustrating archetype into a relatable woman. She’s given more to do than, say, her turn as Jonah Hill’s overzealous Jewish mother in ‘You People’.
Tobias Menzies as Don in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’
As Don, meanwhile, British actor Menzies is also great. Far from being a stock husband in a movie like this, he has his own inner life and a clutch of funny, grumpy therapy clients with their own issues (Cross and Tamblyn bring humorous real-life married couple energy to two of them) and is the perfect twitchy complement to Beth. It’s also entertaining how he’s the sort of therapist quick to offer advice to others about how to figure out their relationships but seemingly stymied by the mildest issue arising in his own.
And their marriage comes across as realistic and nuanced, rather than schticky, even when in the midst of their disagreement.
Yet while Beth and Don are the focus, the film shares the care and attention beyond them, building up Watkins’ Sarah and her frustrations as an interior designer, picking out ever more ridiculous/ugly lamps for a choosy client (Clara Wong’s Ali), and questioning whether she’d be better off ditching the job and finding something more meaningful. Moayed, meanwhile, Sarah’s schlubby actor husband, is dealing with his own career crisis. Mildly successful in movies, he’s now struggling with his latest job in the theater and beginning to wonder whether acting is something he should do at all. More normally found being much slicker and successful on ‘Succession’, Moayed is a great fourth pillar in the central story.
(L to R) Tobias Menzies as Don and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’
Are there issues?
As is normal for Holofcener, the stakes are incredibly low-level, seen as a problem only really by the people involved. And there is a chance that will turn off some audiences –– is it really possible to truly empathize with wealthy (or at least comfortable) New Yorkers whining about someone not liking their latest work or feeling let down by their professional choices? Fortunately, the writer/director finds the humanity in these characters, and the various actors give you enough to make you care how their stories turn out.
Yet in a movie where there are so many well-drawn characters, it’s only really Eliot who suffers from a slightly undernourished take; it’s no fault of Teague, who offers a funny performance, but he really only has one opportunity to shine, in a minor breakdown in front of his parents about how his mother’s encouragement set him up to fail at life.
But those are relatively minor complaints in the effective new film from a writer/director whose keen sense of comedy and character are undimmed. It’s a pleasure to have new work from Holofcener, and something reliably entertaining for anyone who isn’t drawn to capes fluttering in the wind, or cars racing around the streets.
It might not be quite on the same level as ‘Enough Said’, or the Oscar-nominated, Melissa McCarthy-starring ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’, but ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ is a solid entry in Holofcener’s neuroses-laden character canon.
‘You Hurt My Feelings’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
(L to R) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth and Tobias Menzies as Don in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’
