"The Shrouds" Is a Casket Case-and an Unsettling Vision of Techno-Paranoia
Briefly

In David Cronenberg's film "The Shrouds," a blind date between Myrna and Karsh unfolds in a cemetery restaurant owned by Karsh, a widower. The setting's haunting backdrop reflects the complexities of grief as Karsh, who closely monitors his deceased wife Rebecca's now-decomposing body via a high-tech app, finds comfort in the gruesome details. Their date becomes a satirical examination of love, loss, and the morbid fascination that emerges from modern technology, particularly as Cronenberg highlights his own experiences of mourning through this work, marking it as his most personal film to date.
In "The Shrouds," the profound blend of humor and sadness in a blind-date scenario reveals dark realities about love, loss, and technology-mediated grief.
Myrna and Karsh’s lunch, held in a restaurant that he owns, is steeped in morbid irony and reflects how deeply intertwined life and death can be.
Cronenberg’s autobiographical touch is evident, weaving a narrative that examines grief through a personal lens and the unsettling ways we cope with death.
Karsh’s fascination with Rebecca’s decaying body, monitored through a digital app, challenges conventional mourning while highlighting compassion for shared memories.
Read at The New Yorker
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