There’s a storm coming in Take Shelter, a gripping and moody thriller that marks the emergence of Michael Shannon as a leading man.

For those who like to compare movies, Take Shelter can be seen as a darker version of Field of Dreams. Both films feature hard working family men, plagued by forces beyond their control which turns them into a pariah within their tight nit communities.

Yet while Kevin Costner was building a baseball field and dealing with daddy issues, Michael Shannon is building a storm shelter and struggling with the notion that he might have inherited his mother’s (Kathy Baker) schizophrenia, and turns in an award worthy performance while doing so.

Shannon stars as Curtis LaForche, a blue collar working man with a devoted wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain), adoring daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart), and a good job during a struggling economy. He is also haunted by apocalyptic visions of a storm to end all storms, dark and menacing with yellow goo for rain and ability to turn people murderously crazy.

It is a nightmare he keeps to himself in fear of his family and the community thinking he is crazy.  Yet deep down he knows this is a prophecy and he turns fear into action building an underground storm shelter to the concern of his wife.

Yet a man has to do what a man has to do and make no mistake, Take Shelter is a film about the responsibilities men place upon themselves to protect their families and the consequences of such burdens.

Take Shelter is the second film by writer/director Jeff Nichols. It was written during an anxious time for Nichols: he was in his early thirties, recently got married, and the world was unravelling economically and environmentally.  Many a person can relate, which makes the horror in Take Shelter that much more primal and creepy.

What many don’t talk about is mental illness, a subject featured heavily in Take Shelter. Nichols shows how Curtis’ suspected mental illness can affect his work and family lives, and the danger that can arise from non-communication especially within a marriage. There are stakes at play here, with the marriage between Curtis and Samantha especially at risk.

The family dynamic created between Shannon, Chastain and young Tova Stewart feels authentic. Chastain is particularly good as the supportive wife who is slowly watching her husband fall apart in another stellar performance in a prolific and ground breaking year for Chastain.

Yet 2011 should also be marked as the year which saw Michael Shannon move up from supporting roles to leading man status, with Take Shelter his masterwork in a career of playing unhinged characters. Shannon sells the paralysing terror and internal angst very well, but does so without over playing the madness which grips his character.

Nichols has made an effective and creepy film which takes us through twists and turns without feeling like some novelty spook ride. Take Shelter will move and scare you with equal measure, while Shannon cements his reputation as an actor to bet on.