Following performances in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II and last year’s After Midnight (which is also a Shudder exclusive now), Brea Grant is cementing her place as an icon of horror. In Shudder’s latest original film, Lucky, Grant is both the screenwriter, and lead role.

It masterfully taps into the struggles of creatives, as well as women in a general.  It’s tense, creepy, surreal, and has something to say while never losing its focus.

For those who tuned into Shudder TV on Halloween night 2021, Lucky was shown as a “secret screening” months ahead of its March release!

(Minor Spoilers)

Twist on the Home Invasion
The film begins with an author May (Brea Grant) who begins to be tormented by a home invader that comes every night.  And every time she immobilizes, disarms, or even seems to kill this intruder, he simply vanishes when she goes to call the police.

Each time it happens, she gives the same statement but the police are clearly skeptical.  Not even her own spouse takes her seriously when he nonchalantly admits that the intruder comes every night.

Eventually May learns that it’s truly up to her to fight off this intruder and she also discovers that she’s not the only one dealing with it.  In the process, she finds her inner strength and confidence.

Horror as a Metaphor
Using horror to convey social commentary is nothing new to the genre, however it can often backfire when it’s too overt.  Films like 2019’s Black Christmas come to mind as examples of stories that had a message or theme to convey, but did so in an incredibly heavy-handed manner and at the expense of making a good film.

Lucky is lucky (pun very intended) that it’s the complete opposite of this.  Much like the films of Jordan Peele, Lucky uses surrealism to explore its greater themes and commentaries, while still being a tense and exciting home invasion thriller.

The Greater Theme (Major Spoilers)
In many ways, the film can be interpreted as a study into the constant harassment and struggle to be taken seriously that many women face.  This especially includes women creators, who are often judged far more harshly for superficial things than their male counterparts.

One could argue that Lucky is very much a feminist anthem, but at the same time it could also be an exploration of self.  This doesn’t take away from the inherent feminism, rather it might even enhance it.

The intruder could easily represent a patriarchy or the very inner demons that May herself faces from a lack of confidence.  Women are often less encouraged to be ambitious, and this masked burglar who keeps returning could very well be her own visual representation of that.

And the fact that she sees many other women dealing with their own “intruder” reveals what a large scale issue it is.  Perhaps it’s meant to convey that for every woman, their intruder represents something different and specific to them.

Overall, Lucky is well shot, well-acted, and contains a good amount of gore to satisfy any horror fan.  But what it also contains is a thought-provoking theme that isn’t shoved down its audience throat.  Rather, it encourage us to watch it to think about it and have a discussion.

What did you think of Lucky?  Let us know in the comments!

Lucky is streaming exclusively on Shudder

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