Birth/Rebirth

This dark pathological thriller descends into horror not through scares or a sense of dread, but through a chillingly realistic rendering of a disturbing subject. With its atmospherically appropriate setting in gloomy New York, the film features a creepy lead character superbly stylised by Marin Ireland. The film is psychologically balanced, as the motivations of the two doctor characters are understandable despite the definite crossing of ethical boundaries. Only the directorial guidance of the child actress is weak, and the film’s conclusion lazily avoids the escalation of tension that the viewer expected. (17/09/2023)

A modern Frankenstein Daughter! Laura Moss delivers a solid psychological thriller driven drama that draws inspiration from classic horror literature and Cronenberg. And although we don't get any horror savagery, to my surprise I was pleasantly hooked for the entire runtime thanks to the actors, dialogue and premise. The film won me over right from the opening. A mother leaves her 6 year old child to be babysat by a neighbor, only she doesn't make it to morning. (The idea of this happening to a parent is really crazy). The kid ends up on the table of pathologist Marin Ireland, who gives a really cool and strong performance (she's interestingly twisted in her own way- masturbating a random dude on the toilet whose sperm she uses to impregnate herself, and has had a strong interest in biology, death, etc from the age of 6). She takes girl home and decides to turn her into a medical experiment – a cure for DEATH! A confrontation between two women, coincidentally both working in the medical field with the same intention – to save a child. I enjoyed the two leads, the dialogue is well written, the disturbing atmosphere works, the craftsmanship is good, the medical experiments are intriguing, it's definitely presented more realistically and believably than Frankenstein, and the final birth is pretty intense too. Too bad it didn't escalate more in the finale, but I'm still satisfied. Those expecting horror, however, will be extremely disappointed. 7/10. (05/09/2023)

Horror wasn't quite the vibe I got from this film. I'd sooner categorize it as Drama/Thriller/Psychological which seems to capture its essence better. Judy Reyes seemed right in her element in her role – after all, playing a nurse wasn't new territory for her, right? However, it was Marin Ireland's portrayal of Dr. Rose that really impressed me; she embodied the image of a dedicated scientist willing to make personal sacrifices, not to mention those of others. I'll admit, I was a bit thrown off in the first twenty minutes, expecting a horror element that never quite materialized. But as the story unfolded, I realized the fault lay not with the film but with my own expectations. Viewing it as a more intense drama, I found the shift in tone worked well. While I'm usually unfazed by depictions of human anatomy in various states, and blood doesn't bother me unless it's my own in significant amounts, I've never found childbirth scenes particularly pleasant. So, there was a slight discomfort there for me. Sure, I could nitpick various aspects of the film, but ultimately, I had a lot of fun watching it, so criticizing it now would feel hypocritical. On a side note, I'd like to mention something that puzzled me a bit. Anjali Lakshmi Srinivasan played Muriel. Curious, I looked up her photo, and I must say, kudos to the makeup team for their excellent work. Lesson learned (or more of a question this time): Ever heard of the monkey's paw? (20/10/2023)