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Shelter is the latest Harlan Coben novel to come to the small screen, the best of the recent ones I’ve seen being The Stranger on Netflix.
The story first begins in New Jersey, 1998, where a large group of kids all file into a shelter underground. Why? What’s the look on Brad’s face?
Then skip ahead to Santa Monica, California, but 25 years later and a situation which leads to student Mickey Bolitar’s (Jaden Michael – Colin In Black And White) father, Brad (Kristoffer Polaha – Jurassic World: Dominion) – now older (since that’s a fact of chronology), passing away in very unfortunate circumstances. With his mother having gone into rehab, this results in the lad going to a new school because he’s living with his aunt, Shira (Constance Zimmer).
However, this are on the up, as Mickey hits it off with another newbie in Ashley (Samantha Bugliaro), and one of his teachers, Mrs Friedman – who also had dad Brad in her class when he was Mickey’s age – is played by Didi Conn, aka Frenchy from Grease!
Meanwhile, there’s a creepy house with a strange woman living inside, known as the Bat Lady, seemingly imparting all kinds of bizarre ‘knowledge’, but obviously, there’s things I’m not going to mention here, because they’d be bigger spoilers than you’d find on a car.
Nothing in life ever goes to plan, and Mickey starts to notice this as people start disappearing in a situation which has been going on for decades, but amongst the strange things going on which cannot be explained, he teams up with fellow students Arthur (Adrian Greensmith) and emo girl Ema (Abby Corrigan, reminding me here very much of Winona Ryder in Heathers), and these three work together well as they try to ‘Miss Marple’ it all out.
But what’s the deal with a strange bald man with a weird beard walking around, along with the mysterious Octoface? Come on, fellas, if you’re going to try and be clandestine as you achieve whatever goals you’re attempting, you could at least try NOT looking so out of bloody place!
Shelter has some intriguing things happening, as well as some stupid things going on. So far, I’ve seen the first three episodes – all of which are available on day one, with the rest added weekly. I will certainly check out more, but it does need to improve to a degree.
And I’ve not discussed anything more than is in the trailer, although there’s a fair bit in that which I don’t want to mention anyway, as it features quick clips of this and that which are better left until you come across them in the show.
Thanks to our friends at Prime Video for the screener prior to broadcast.
Shelter is on Prime Video from today. Three episodes are available on day one, with the rest added weekly.
NOTE:
Trailer posted August 17th 22:00
Updated with spoiler-free review: August 18th 08:00
Cert: 
Running time: 45-60 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: August 18th 2023
Studio: Prime Video
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Edward Ornelas, Christina Choe, Deborah Kampmeier, Patricia Cardoso
Producers: Charlotte Coben, Andrew Saxe
Developed for TV by: Charlotte Coben, Harlan Coben
Novel: Harlan Coben
Writers: Harlan Coben, Ben Pack, Alfredo Barrios Jr, Nicki Renna, Ed Decter, Allen MacDonald
Music: Hannah Parrott
Cast:
Mickey Bolitar: Jaden Michael
Shira Bolitar: Constance Zimmer
Arthur Spindell: Adrian Greensmith
Ema Winslow: Abby Corrigan
Rachel Caldwell: Sage Linder
Troy Taylor: Brian Altemus
Chief Taylor: Lee Aaron
Sunglasses Man: Hunter Emery
Buck: Antonio Cipriano
Bat Lady: Tovah Feldshuh
Hannah: Missi Pyle
Mrs. Friedman: Didi Conn
Whitney: Alexa Mareka
Ashley Kent: Samantha Bugliaro
Octoface: Manuel Uriza
Paramedic: Luke Marinkovich
Brad: Kristoffer Polaha
Young Brad: Maximo Masefield
Mr. V: Geoffrey Cantor
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.