Photo by Michelle Lobianco
You might get emotional while watching the music video for Sharkswimmer’s track, “Shut-In.”
The animated video, which was written, directed, and illustrated by member Justin Buschardt, masterfully unfolds a narrative so deeply human that it both rattles and recognizes the soul alike. That narrative, per the track’s title, highlights that the most difficult of battles are often fought in the place we are meant to feel safest with the person that is meant to be our only constant ally: in our own homes, with ourselves.
The video begins with a woman and her pet dog bounding up the steps to their apartment door. After they go inside, the video then (literally) shows the viewer what is transpiring behind the closed door, and viewers are treated to what can only be described as a beautifully intimate narrative of the complexities of human emotion.
The “Shut-In” video highlights that, often times, the most difficult element of coping with the constant business in our hearts and minds is the subsequent numbness it creates. Early on, we see our protagonist twitch her fingers as she slumps into a chair, starting into space. She seeks a remedy by turning on the television and selecting a book to read, but the screen is soon turned off and the book is placed back on the shelf in an effort to dull a beam of light that is emitted in its empty place. After seemingly giving up on seeking a distraction, our protagonist later sits motionless at her kitchen table and crouches in her shower fully clothed, imagining she is drowning.
It is valuable to see these quiet, often isolating experiences represented. We have all experienced moments where we feel absolutely everything, yet it can only result in doing absolutely nothing. When books, television, and other usual means of detachment lose their impact and appeal, we are only left to be and feel. This can often place us into something of a fatigued ivory tower, where the bricks are comprised of our thoughts and feelings. The tower’s walls can often feel too strong and tall to break down, but as our protagonist later experiences, they always can be. This uncovers a major point of resonance within the “Shut-In” video, which is that it highlights the often little-discussed grey area that transpires between being in a tough place emotionally and ultimately coming out on the other side.
The music video’s conclusion is so lovely that I hesitate to share much about it (trust me, it’s worth seeing for yourself), but I will share that it includes a rejuvenated version of our protagonist walking through her apartment with ease, passing versions of her past self as we once saw her earlier in the video: we see her slumped in her chair, sitting face down at her kitchen table, and splayed across her couch. As she moves, she carries a sense of power with her. Her gaze remains locked forward and her stride consistent. Whether this was intended or not, this sequence sends the incredibly important message that we are not the people we are in lowest moments; that we are more powerful than the people we are in our lowest moments.
In the end, the color scheme of grey, black, and white transforms into one of many colors. As a result, the video not only paints a comprehensive image of the healing experience, but prompts us to recall that healing is very much waiting for us – in its many forms, avenues, and timelines – at the end of our respective periods of hardship. While our homes can sometimes feel like battlefields where our minds are the opposing entity, the video for “Shut-In” is a refreshing reminder that, with time, the battlefield will evolve into a haven and the opposing entity will evolve into a friend again.
