Finnish Chiller: Is the Baby a Monster?

In Hanna Bergholm's "Nightborn," a couple, Saga and Jon, seeks a fresh start by moving to a sprawling fixer-upper in the Finnish woods, aiming to build the large family they desire. This move is driven partly by economic necessity, seeking an escape from London's high cost of living.

Soon after their baby, Kuula, arrives, Saga begins to notice alarming peculiarities. The infant is unusually large, hairy, and emits a disturbing, almost animalistic cry. Bergholm skillfully builds suspense by withholding a clear view of the baby's face until the film's conclusion.

The film adeptly navigates the challenging experiences of new motherhood, depicting the intense pain Saga endures during breastfeeding. This raw depiction serves as both a relatable, rarely shown aspect of reality and a potent horror movie moment.

While Rupert Grint offers a solid portrayal of the well-meaning but passive Jon, Seidi Haarla commands the screen as Saga. She is subjected to relentless trials related to her baby, and the dismissive reactions of others create a disorienting sense of gaslighting, making it difficult for her to discern reality.

The stylized production design further enhances the film's unsettling atmosphere, creating a world that feels slightly detached from ordinary reality. This ambiguity forces the audience, like Saga, to question what is real and what is a product of her increasingly fragile state.