Lelia Goldoni,
Ben Carruthers,
Anthony Ray,
Hugh Hurd,
Rupert Crosse
... see more 
Shadows was John Cassavetes' first directorial effort. Like his later critically acclaimed films Faces and Husbands, Cassavetes fills the screen with probing, unflattering closeups. Unlike his other f... read more
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (277)
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April 6, 2012A new-waveish beatnik sociopolitical commentary that gets far less recognition than it deserves.
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November 21, 2010This is a pretty good, and very different, drama movie, but it's not all that exciting or intense. Plus, I wasn't familiar or impressed with any of the actors.
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May 11, 2010Classic American cinema, way ahead of the rest with an important message to boot. Not only was the subject matter original in film but so was the production. Essential viewing for film fans and especially film makers. It has to be one of the coolest films ever made!
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October 12, 2009According to the information that can be found on the box, a very important and influential movie and Cassavetes directorial debut.
It's VERY difficult to rate this one objectively after seeing A Woman Under the Influence first, which is a completely different movie. Somehow the... read more -
April 13, 2009Cassavetes' debut: A close examination of daily life. People wanting to find something to do, striving to understand their moods, shortcomings, and the possibilities and impossibilities of the New York Universe they inhabit. Coming to terms with race and racism. Falling in, out o... read more
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November 16, 2011fb1142797643Everyone knows "Shadows" is a historically important film, but it's also interesting on its own terms. The loose plot takes place within the late-'50s clique of New York jazz cats. Period lingo is kept to a minimum (save some talk of "making the scene"), so the dialogue doesn't a... read more
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November 3, 2011fb208103125A film made using improvisation performances from it's talented cast, Shadows was the first film by director John Cassavetes and was made with a meager budget of $40,000. The film obviously focuses fully on the story and issues at hand and the brief 82 minute runntime flies by a... read more
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November 20, 2011Great experimental picture by John Cassavetes. A tad creeky but you can't help but admire the performances, the setting, and the themes. It's a nice little movie.
Critic Reviews
April 29, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
May 9, 2005
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Shadows is an unfinished picture in every sense of the word. Yet it is fitfully dynamic, endowed with a raw but vibrant strength, conveying an illusion of being a record of real people, and it is inco... Full Review
June 17, 2003
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Arguably the founding work of the American independent cinema. Full Review
June 16, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
In this experimental film, Cassavetes' approach and a cast of unknowns brought a new sense of realism to the American cinema. Full Review
September 22, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's Cassavetes's auspicious debut film as director. Full Review
February 14, 2009
Jeremiah Kipp, Slant Magazine
The Beat generation espoused a rejection of mainstream American values, and John Cassavetes's Shadows feels like a relic from that movement. Full Review
December 8, 2008
Jason Morgan, Filmcritic.com
a cinematic improvisation (as the end credits mention) of amateur vitality Full Review
August 29, 2006
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Its importance in the development of the American independent movement cannot be overstated, nor can the unique power it still retains. Full Review
June 24, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out
A very modern, impressionistic snapshot of New York bohemia with scenes linked not by dramatic line but by place, time and mood. Full Review
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Shadows
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