It’s not often that a horror movie comes along that reflects what is happening in pop culture or feels as though it was ripped from the headlines. I’m surprised there hasn’t been much buzz about Nightborn, considering it’s about the horrors of post-partum depression and media attention surrounding the Lindsay Clancy case. I know everyone has their opinions on the case, and because of the case I kind of let this film simmer for a while before deciding to write this. I’ll start by saying that if you’re sensitive to the topic of the film, you may just want to skip it altogether, and don’t bother reading this review, I’m not here to spoil anything, and I don’t want to upset anyone, either. One other thing that may turn people off to this film is that it is a Finnish film with a mix of English and Finnish poken throughout, and I know some people just hate subtitles … With all that out of the way, how is the movie, what is it all about, and most importantly, is it any good? The film opens up with a young couple, Saga (Seidi Haarla) and Jon (Rupert Grint), who move into an old family home that rests on the outskirts of a Finnish forest. After engaging in some adult activities in the woods, surrounded by some disturbing looking trees, we definitely get the impression they are being watched by some unseen entity. It’s not long after that Saga discovers she’s pregnant and we see her have the baby, and, well, let’s just say the birth scene is a bit gory and not what the young couple expects. For Saga this is the start of her suspicion that there just might be something wrong with her baby. Rupert Grint does a good job playing the timid and loving husband and father, but it is Seidi Haarla who really steals this movie.
At first this film kind of reminded me of the film Grace (2009) about a mother who gives birth to a baby with a taste for blood. While the films do have similarities, they definitely go in radically different, yet equally horrific directions. At first it seems like family and friends believe the baby is a bit strange-looking, but there is nothing actually wrong with the child. Saga is under the impression that something from the forest has possibly possessed her child after hearing folk tales about the forest, like how cold metal seems to hurt the child as well as sunlight. Jon, of course, feels his wife is overreacting, and this is where in a way as an audience member you can decide: is it the forest that is after her baby, or is she simply delusional? Depending on what perspective you go with, it makes for a more dynamic viewing experience and makes a re-watch more enjoyable.
I do have two major complaints with the film. I’m not a fan of the pacing of the film; it feels like it drags on longer than is needed, and despite how good the performances are, this still feels longer than it actually was. My other issue is how the film seems to restrain itself too much. This could have used way more blood and gore, but it seemed like it was squeamish about showing us anything too graphic. One scene in particular stands out where a little girl is “attacked” by the child, it’s done off camera, and we only see the aftermath. Sure, this gives credibility to Saga that her baby could be this cannibalistic bad seed, but it could easily be dismissed as well. Even when we see Saga completely lose her marbles because we are seeing it from her perspective, can we trust what she’s seeing is real?
Then it comes to the film’s final act, when we’re supposed to get the big payoff. I don’t hate the ending, but I still feel a bit cheated by it all. Sure, as an audience we can make our own decisions on what happens. It’s not as though it ends with a cliffhanger either … I just felt like It ends just before the ultimate climax ever got to happen. I’m sure some will love this approach to the ending, but it just didn’t stick with me.
The cinematography is good, but there werea lot of missed opportunities by not spending more time with the forest and really building a foreboding atmosphere around the woods. Another aspect they seemed to fumble is making Saga feel isolated and vulnerable. They always had other characters around, and we never got enough time to see Saga alone and struggling, and when she was alone they just didn’t take advantage of building any tension or suspense.
Is Nightborn one of my favorite Shudder releases of the year? Not quite, but it’s still has some good things going for it. The film is from the Finnish director Hanna Bergholm, who directed the 2022 horror film Hatching (a better film, in my humble opinion). This is a director where I definitely see the potential to do something great. It is just a matter of the right script coming her way. This is a tough film to recommend. It’s a slow burn and not something I’d say is very memorable, but if you are a woman who has dealt with post-partum in the past, maybe this is something you’ll connect to more than I ever could.
