Fetus

For a movie about "fetus," there is not enough actual fetus. I came in expecting them to discuss fetuses but there is like none at all! I was very disappointed. The gore looks like gum wrappers and the humans look like Teletubbies. Much work is needed. 1/10.

The Fetus completely surprised me. What I thought would just be another "possessed baby" horror flick actually turned into a smart mix of scares, dark comedy, and emotional weight. The story follows a young couple who discover their pregnancy isn't as normal as it seems - and the way the film balances genuine dread with over-the-top humor makes it stand out from other horror films this year.

The performances sell it - the leads feel believable and grounded, which makes the outrageous, demonic moments even more fun. The practical effects are creepy, the atmosphere keeps you on edge, and the pacing never drags. I also loved the little satirical touches about family, parenthood, and how far people will go to protect (or fear) what's theirs.

If you're into horror-comedy with some real bite, this one's worth checking out. It's original, unsettling, and unexpectedly funny - a must-watch for fans of films like Ready or Not or The Babysitter.

I've now seen several gory horror movies by Brian Paulin, two of which I enjoy as much as vintage Lucio Fulci, Inside and even more than Olaf Ittenbach's best pieces (his nasty shot on video gore chambers, Black Past and The Burning Moon, rather than his ambitious, but often dull "big" movies).

I hope Mr. Paulin gets his due.

Certainly, the viewer needs to accept certain things that come with a micro budget labor of love like Fetus and undoubtedly some viewers want quickly-edited bloody action movies (28 Days Later and The Descent) rather than atmospheric isolated horror, which is my preference (eg. Rosemary's Baby, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scarecrows, City of the Living Dead, Inside, Profondo Rosso, The Shout, Lost Highway). I imagine that if this piece (and Bone Sickness) were shot on film in the seventies and rediscovered now, they would be ubiquitously categorized as "essential cult."

((I don't have a problem with shot on video stuff (which this is), especially when the compositions and lightning are as thoughtful as they are here and i believe there is a some benefit to the extra visual information you get at 29.97 fps, a different level of reality, even if the image isn't quite as pretty. It's not better than film, but different with it's own quality.))

When comparing Fetus to Paulin's seemingly best known work, Bone Sickness, Fetus is altogether better realized-- the compositions, lighting, acting and effects are of a higher caliber-- but Fetus is less ambitious in terms of its scope. So Fetus is more professional and less flawed than Bone Sickness, but it does not reach as high or sustain its crescendo for nearly as long. I also appreciate the fact that Fetus is done in a completely serious way, rather than the jokey splatter of Jackson or Evil Dead II or Shaun of the Dead kind of stuff.

The music is strong, and in an older Giallo style, which helps the vibe. There are certainly some moments that confused me-- audio & effects ideas that didn't fully translate-- but this movie and Bone Sickness are the best shot on video horror movies I've seen, and they overachieve in so many departments (inventiveness, craziness, atmosphere, gore, etc.) that all the flaws are easily forgiven.

If you liked Ittenbach's Black Past & The Burning Moon, I recommend Fetus, which is a comparable chamber of gore, though Fetus is better written and photographed and is aided by a very good score. I look forward to more work by this driven and talented guy.

This is a real bloody treat for you. And by bloody I mean bloody! This movie is damn near soaking in the stuff. But that's not all. There's some truly demented and depraved stuff going on in this beauty. If you are easily offended or squeamish, this is not the movie for you.

The plot is pretty simple, a man loses his loving wife during childbirth, along with his newborn baby. He falls into a deep depression and comes to the conclusion that he must bring her back from the dead, by any means necessary.

That's the general scope of it. The story is pretty plain, with relatively plain acting and sound effects to go with it. Also with this being shot on video, it looks so cheap most would probably dismiss it as rubbish before even giving it a chance. They would miss out though. Where this movie succeeds is in the special effects. Those were some astounding effects! Things were so bloody I was getting nauseous. Usually I find blood splatter fun and hilarious, but I was getting grossed out in this one. You gotta admire that reaction. So seldom do people get grossed out anymore with movies. But this is just disgusting. Never mind the gore, you got so many taboos broken it's insane. I don't want to spoil anything, but given the title, you know there's going to be some mistreating of a fetus. But that's not all. There is a truly demented scene towards the end that I will not spoil here, but if it doesn't leave you applauding, I don't know what will.

I'm going go out on a limb and guess many horror fans would not approve of this. But being the gore hound that I am, I found this little gem delightful.

I wanted to watch FETUS for a while now since i heard that it's one of these most disturbing movies. Well no. Sure the gore effects are unique and clearly are inspired by Guinea Pig films, August Underground and Women's Flesh My Red Guts, but the story itself makes zero logic.

We got a guy that has his wife and two children die. This drives him insane so he gets into rituals, and try his best to get in touch with his wife, by killing four men, and then Satan comes in the play. Yeah. I just told you the whole plot.

I was expecting something along the lines of INSIDE, but i got a movie that i barely can describe. I can praise it only for the gore effects some of which look unique, i can give it that. Everything else isn't really good at all.

If you are into films like August Underground, and Nekromanik, like very low-budget low plot films go for it. I did not get disturbed during this movie at all. Since it had zero plot, to begin with. It felt like a Slaughter Vomit Dolls movie, just random scene after random scene, because why not.

When i was watching this movie, a big Daddy Long Legs spider got on my wall, and that triggered me more than this movie ever did lmao.