Netflix Movie Review: Gimme Shelter

02/12/2015

By Lilly Devine

Comment Columnist

Gimme Shelter is 2013 independent drama starring Vanessa Hudgens, James Earl Jones and Brendan Fraser. The film, based on a true story, follows Apple, a 16-year old pregnant girl (Hudgens) who flees her abusive, drug addict mother to find her father (Fraser) and shows the struggles that she faces along the way.

With her hard upbringing, Apple and her father get off on the wrong foot, which results in her making destructive decisions. Going back to live on the streets, she wakes in a hospital bed, where she gets advices from a chaplain (Jones) who helps her get involved with a shelter for young mothers.

Despite a rocky start, Apple connects with the girls in the shelter and forms a sisterhood. She later rekindles her relationship with her father, but the journey is not easy.

If you are looking for an inspirational movie, this is the one. Gimme Shelter shows the hardships of a pregnant teenager, and proves you can overcome these tough challenges with just a little support.

Vanessa Hudgens is known for her role in High School Musical, but has branched off since then to perform on Broadway and other small independent films. Gimme Shelter came shortly after the 2012 crime-comedy Spring Breakers.

This movie is rated PG-13 for for mature thematic material involving mistreatment, some drug content, violence and language.

Lilly Devine is a Comment Columnist. Follow her on Twitter @lillykdevine.