Horror-romance Attachment offers an updated twist on Jewish folklore and possession tropes

Attachment. // Courtesy Shudder

While no two romantic relationships are alike, they all feature similar milestones. The first night spent together. Meeting your partner’s parents. Caring for your partner after an injury.

In Gabriel Bier Gislason’s Attachment, Maja (Josephine Park), an aimless former actress, gets to experience all of the above in rapid succession when she meets nervous academic Leah (Ellie Kendrick). The two meet (putting the cute in meet-cute), fall for each other, and Leah quickly moves in to Maja’s flat in Denmark, until a freak accident sends them both back to the London home Leah shares with her intimidating, overbearing mother Chana (Sofie Gråbøl).

As Chana works to heal Leah’s injury, and Leah works to foster a relationship between Maja and Chana, Maja begins to suspect that there are sinister forces hibernating in their home- and potentially even each other.

The film beautifully captures the incredible unease Maja feels as she tries to win over Chana, as well as the isolation she experiences as she explores the Hasidic neighborhood Leah and Chana call home. She is regarded with curiosity and suspicion by the residents, with the exception of mysterious bookshop owner Lev (David Dencik), whom we later find is Leah’s uncle. Dencik rounds out the cast beautifully, adding a sardonic sense of humor that complements Gråbøl’s blunt delivery and imposing presence.

The bilingual nature of the film is one of its most fascinating aspects—switching seamlessly between English and Danish, the characters are able to express their frustrations, openly discuss secrets, and encourage the codependent relationships that tie the film together.

As a tale of the supernatural, Attachment mostly treads familiar ground. The possession tropes utilized here will be familiar to most horror fans, although framing them within the context of Judaism lends the film a level of intrigue and atmosphere audiences might not get from Christian or secular stories. The real fascination in the film comes from the relationships the characters share with each other and the thoughtful exploration of what it means to attach oneself to another. 

Attachment is streaming on Shudder now.