When Danielle (Rachel Sennott) attends a Jewish funeral service with her parents she finds both her ex-girlfriend Maya (Molly Gordon) and her sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) and his wife Kim (Diana Agron) are there. 

Shiva Baby consists of eighty-seven minutes of difficult and awkward social situations for Danielle. As the film continues we get to see a little bit more of her psyche in what is a bitter sweet drama comedy. 

The entire film is set in and around the home where the shiva is taking place and as a result feels incredibly claustrophobic. One scene in particular sums this up as Danielle is pinned to a wall unable to move as her mother and her friend have a conversation. The camera focuses on Danielle with the conversing women barely in shot. 

Rachel Sennott does a great job carrying the film on her shoulders in writer/director Emma Seligman’s debut picture. The details in the script and action leads me to think that Seligman has some first hand knowledge of the family behaviours on display. 

I enjoyed my time at this shiva although I am glad I was on the outside looking in.