“Has anyone seen this?”

Imaginary Apocalypse in Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter

Authors

  • Laura Copier University of Amsterdam

Abstract

This article explores the enduring presence and appeal of apocalyptic narratives in two recent films, Melancholia and in more detail, Take Shelter. After a short discussion on the definition and on the different ways in which apocalyptic discourse is manifested (not only in religious and scholarly discourse, but even more so in secular cultural expressions), the article will analyze the film Take Shelter. I will deal with this film in two different ways: on the one hand, it is a good example of a resilient feature of apocalyptic narratives: its visionary quality, on the other hand it seemingly breaks with the paradigm of unfulfilled apocalyptic endings.

Author Biography

  • Laura Copier, University of Amsterdam

    Laura Copier (1975) is an assistant professor in Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam. She studied Film and Television Studies at the University of Amsterdam and completed her PhD at the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA). Her dissertation, published by Sheffield Phoenix Press, is entitled “Preposterous Revelations: Visions of Apocalypse and Martyrdom in Hollywood Cinema 1980–2000.” In this book, she analyzes the divergent popular representations of the Apocalypse, in image as well as in words, in contemporary Hollywood cinema.

Downloads

Published

2026-05-04

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 1 (2013): Apocalypse in Contemporary Culture

Section

Main Section

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Copier, L. (2026). “Has anyone seen this?”: Imaginary Apocalypse in Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter. FRAME, Journal of Literary Studies, 26(1), 77-92. https://platform.openjournals.nl/FRAME/article/view/27427