Antibirth

So, I can't say that this was my all-time favorite movie of the year, nor can I say it didn't lack substance. However, I did watch this movie 2 times, being an indie film producer and writer before giving any rating or review. This film, in my opinion, is meant to be satirical and humorous while also being horrifying and bloody grisly fantastic. We have Natasha Lyonne, perfectly cast, as the main character who basically wakes up pregnant and has all these strange things start to happen to her. I will say, this film is not a stand alone "Thriller" so do not be confused. After my second go around with this film, I realized the meaning of it. Also, while watching, keep an ear out for the music choice as it is perfectly placed and could not have been picked better. 10 stars on music and Natasha Lyonne's performance. This movie will either be your cup of tea, or it will not. Think, Trainspotting. This movie is nothing like it, but you either loved or hated it. I loved both.

It seems that hard-drinking, bong-ripping, up-for-anything Lou might be pregnant-- although she has a hard time understanding how that could possibly be the case.

Antibirth isn't much of a horror movie, even if it has some decent early creep. It's more of the "independent" genre: high weirdness, with a plot that plays second or third fiddle to its characters. But there is a bit of gross-out thrown in, maybe just for fun. And you might find the prospect of watching a pregnant woman down a fifth of vodka horrifying.

Horror movie or not, AB is a good movie, mostly because of the well-written and well-acted characters. In particular, Natasha Lyonne plays her part perfectly. She makes the entire film work with her drunken, stoned charm.

The actual plot is a little thin; it ends up being just an excuse to make a movie. The pacing is just a tad slow. And the budget is obviously tight (but still, top notch characters).

It's not horror, but if you don't like horror, don't watch it. If you spent your youth being useful rather than getting high, don't watch it. If you just want to be scared, don't watch it. But otherwise, check out Antibirth.

"Antibirth" starts out promising with some really intriguing characterizations from Natasha Lyonne and Chloe Sevigny. The screenplay has some great dialogue, and Ms. Lyonne in particular is, as usual, fascinating to watch. Unfortunately, as the film begins to develop a plot it becomes more and more derivative, confusing and absurd and stops being enjoyable; it just becomes plodding and dull. There are so many stereotypical subplots from body-horror films as well as ripoffs from "Rosemary's Baby," "Demon Seed" and others that "Antibirth" just becomes another minor product aimed at the quickie Hollywood horror market. Meg Tilly is wasted and looks as though she's still trying to figure out the plot herself during her scenes. I recommend watching the first fifteen minutes and then turning it off and doing something more productive... I stayed until the end and felt ripped off waiting for something to original to happen.

This is an artsy horror film that embraces raw American lower class, gritty characters, drugs and neon clothing. So this isn't for everyone and certainly caters to a particular audience. That being said I can recommend this movie if you are a big fan of either Chloe Sevigny or Natasha Lyone because their real life friendship is apparent in this film, especially a stoned dance scene in a trailer. They just had fun making this and embracing the dark, quirky elements, and that made it so enjoyable. If you liked the movies #Horror, Tales of Halloween, Honeybee, Bubba Ho-Tep, ABC's of Death, BeatleJuice, An American Werewolf in London or Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.... Then it's a pretty good chance you will get a kick out of Anti-Birth.

In a desolate community full of drug-addled Marines and rumors of kidnapping, a wild-eyed stoner named Lou (Natasha Lyonne) wakes up after a wild night of partying with symptoms of a strange illness and recurring visions as she struggles to get a grip on reality while stories of conspiracy spread.

The film seems to begin with a kernel of truth: that drug use can be terrifying. While I have no personal experience as far as that goes, we are all familiar with the idea of a "bad trip". One could say that what happens to Lou is the worst kind. Although not directly connected to her, we also see the dark edges of drug use, which can lead to addiction, or even to prostitution. Is that aspect "horror"? No. But it is certainly scary in its own way.

Leading the film are two great actresses: Natasha Lyonne (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), assisted by Chloe Sevigny (AMERICAN HORROR STORY). Lyonne has mastered the trashy woman act (and unlike the caricature rednecks of Rob Zombie's world, this story is grounded in reality). Films with such protagonists do a dangerous balancing act. We feel obligated to have sympathy on Lou (she is our humble narrator), but in many ways we cannot help but feel she brought this on herself.

One review summarized the film as "really, really weird". Now, I happen to disagree. Sure, we have talk of aliens, and some impressive creature effects in third act. We have a bizarre pregnancy, and some hallucinations. But it still has a coherence that keeps it very real. This is not David Lynch's "Eraserhead". You aren't left with endless questions.

Writer-director Danny Perez (ODDSAC) has crafted a smart horror-drama, with a big pinch of science fiction thrown in. He has created not only a solid film, but another world. If he happens to return to this snowy wasteland, I suspect there are more stories for him to tell.