Expecting parents are always excited and worried all at once, especially if it’s their very first child. “Do we have everything we need? Is mom eating all the right things during pregnancy? Are we actually ready?” Then again, their expectations cannot live up to the type of baby gnawing its way into the world like the one in “Nightborn,” from writer/director Hanna Bergholm, which made its North American premiere at Fantasia Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Grab onto your baby bottles; you’re gonna need to stay hydrated.
Nightborn
Saga (Seidi Haarla; “Icebreaker” TV series) and Jon (Rupert Grint; “Harry Potter” franchise and “Knock at the Cabin” (2023)) are expecting their first child after moving from the U.K. to Finland in Saga’s old house where she grew up for most of her life. Deep in the woods, they are somewhat secluded from civilization and enjoy the tranquility of the mesmerizing, yet peculiar, setting. Once their baby is born, they instantly notice the infant’s unusually hairy back. He rarely sleeps; barely feeds; and begins to grow a taste for blood… and more. As the relationships between Saga and her British husband, as well as both of their respective families, become weary and tense, she begins to despise her own child; if we can call him that. What kind of monster have they brought into this world?
After her 2022 feature film debut “Hatching” was a great success, Hanna Bergholm returns with another tale about bringing a new life into this world, yet explores themes of the insecurities of first-time parents, family expectations, and motherly anxieties. Accompanied by an absolutely phenomenal score from composer Eicca Toppinen who succeeds in using string instruments to highlight the beauty of nature as well as the threatening, soul-grasping, menacing, ominous signs of things to come, Bergholm hypnotizes her audience with captivating, appealing and spotless cinematography of the forest, as well as the couple’s home. She also isn’t afraid to create wince-inducing moments, early in the film, with graphic body anatomy shots. Having co-written the script with Ilja Rautsi, she brings forth a déja-vu scenario (Rosemary’s Baby (1968), It’s Alive (1974), Grace (2009), but steering the outcome into a completely new direction, exploiting it intelligently, while cunningly keeping most of the baby’s features shrouded in obscurity for the majority of the film.
Nightborn
Seida Haarla definitely carries this film on her (literally bloody) shoulders with an outstanding performance worthy of an Academy award nomination. From lust, to bliss, to distress, to confusion, to embarrassment, to disgust, to so much more, she displays a wide assortment of various and distinctive emotions to perfection. No matter the viewers’ gender, everyone will be able to feel the state of mind and heartache of a new mother. Rupert Grint also brings forth an outstanding representation of the soft-spoken, supportive father and spouse, while frustration, slowly accumulating, builds up inside of him. Together, the Finnish-British duo are flawless in personifying a passionate couple, wandering into the darkness of parenthood.
Nightborn
Bergholm’s film is a vast collaboration among the United Kingdom, France, Finland and Lithuania, although the film is spoke in English and Finnish, with subtitles. With a minimal and acceptable amount of CGI, “Nightborn” has some impressive practical effects and some even more memorable make-up effects. The bloody chaos that rises to a climatic apex is certainly enticing for the audience, creating no lulls or dull moments, captivating viewers from the hasty beginning that jumps directly into the heart of the matter all the way to the overwhelming finale.
Nightborn
Any young couple pondering on the thought of having their first child will definitely think twice after viewing Hanna Bergholm’s second feature film. “Nightborn,” a tour-de-force for expecting parents, receives a solid 4 eyes out of 5.
As the film continues its tour of festivals and special screenings, look for its release on Friday, July 31st, on Shudder!
For more horrific babies, check out our review for “The Fetus.”
