Tell me something that helps me understand why you're being like this.
In the wake of last week's freak storms which tore through the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction, Jeff Nichols's Take Shelter takes on an even more ominous cast than usual. Not only do there always seem to be threatening storm clouds on the horizon, but its protagonist (Michael Shannon), a construction foreman living in rural Ohio with his wife and deaf daughter, has a series of increasingly disturbing dreams and hallucinations that convince him that a deadly storm is bearing down on them. Shannon does a masterful job of playing a man who worries that he may been losing his grip on sanity but still acts on his visions in the interest of protecting his family should he turn out to be right. The suddenly ubiquitous Jessica Chastain plays his uncomprehending wife -- a difficult role for which she really should have been nominated instead of The Help -- and Shea Whigham is his friend and co-worker, who sees the signs that he's cracking up but is powerless to prevent what happens.
This film has engendered a fair amount of discussion about its ending, particularly in regards to how much it should be taken literally, if at all. This is not the place for that, but as far as I'm concerned the end of Take Shelter isn't half as important as the journey it takes getting there. Between the performances (which are uniformly excellent across the board), Nichols's taut direction, and David Wingo's music-box score, this is a chilling piece of work that stays with you. It may not give me nightmares, but the next time I see storm clouds gathering or a flock of birds swarming in formation, Take Shelter will be the first thing that comes to mind.