Birth/Rebirth

It was pretty good.

It's a solid psychological horror movie with an interesting concept, strong direction and good performances from Marin Ireland and Judy Reyes. Throughout, the camerawork and production design is pretty good as it helps add the creepy atmospheric tones. The direction and writing from Laura Moss was pretty good as Moss was able to provide strong direction and interesting writing concepts into the narrative that were interesting and engaging to observe. Alongside some pretty solid uses of some horror gore and blood moments.

As mentioned, the performances are pretty good and even the child actor had some pretty good moments as well. The narrative definitely is influenced by Frankenstein or something from David Cronenberg as the narrative, while at times could improve, does explore some fun territories. The dialogue is pretty good as well and the characters were interesting to observe. Some of the pacing could have been improved and the characters were interesting although I wish there was a little more to the characters.

Overall, it's a good Midnight movie. There were some pretty good blood and gory looking moments.

It is not a true horror, but it is medically graphic, so be warned. Both lead actors do a good job, taking their respective characters in two long gradual arcs. One from an emotionally cold, socially marooned, savant existence, to eventually showing some small instances of warmth and connection, possibly even yearning?

The other, from a warm, caring, nurse, mother, to being morally complicit in their dubious scheme to cheat death.

Tension is driven along by good editing and an idiosyncratic, edgy soundtrack, that draws you in to the point where you yourself feel complicit, as you root for the pair, in their dastardly, if well intentioned, endeavours. It is however broken at a few points with some, I am sure, deliberate humour.

It could have had the last 8 minutes or so cut off to make a tidy 90 minutes. As by this time it had tailed off into borderline nonsense.

Laura Moss' engrossing medical thriller is an update on the regeneration of the dead theme. Pathologist Dr. Rose Casper (a determined Marin Ireland) has been experimenting with reviving dead tissue of animals. Opportunity knocks one day when a six year old girl Lila (A. J. Lister) is wheeled into the morgue. Dr. Casper springs into action making the dead child her biggest experiment yet. Things get infinitely more complicated when Lila's mother, Celie (a fierce Judy Reyes), finds out. Celie happens to be a nurse.

What makes Moss and co-writer Brenden J. O'Brien's screenplay so involving is that it focuses more on parenting and morality than the experiment itself. The story sets up a fascinating dynamic between the two medical professionals. As Lila's mother, Celie, obviously has a maternal attachment to her daughter, but, there is also a symbiotic relationship that develops between the Creator and her Creation. Dr. Casper is fully committed to her work, even using her own body as a vessel for her experiments. Still, a mother's bond is inviolate. It becomes more than just a test of wills, everything is at stake for both women -- even at the expense of the Lila's unfortunate soul.

Moss' direction is gripping and the script plays out in an intelligent direction save for one miss-step which seems to be included as if to justify the "horror film" label. It does get gruesome, but never for it's own sake. The basic theme, of course, goes back to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein myth. There are no significant male characters. It's a powerful collaboration between Moss and her four main actresses (Breeda Wool plays an expectant mother who gets caught up in the crossfire). Ireland and Reyes are exceptional as the dueling women at the center of the tale.

BIRTH/REBIRTH updates an old tale. The storytelling isn't the most innovative, but it's smartly told and genuinely thought-provoking - not to mention disturbing.

"Birth/Rebirth" is a psychological horror film that explores the consequences of playing God and the ethics of medical advancements. It follows two mothers, Rose and Celie, with contrasting perspectives on life and death. Their lives intersect when Celie's daughter dies, and Rose's experiments to bring the dead back to life become relevant. The film delves into the emotional impact of this resurrection on both mothers, raising questions about the boundaries of maternal instincts. It features unsettling and graphic scenes, drawing inspiration from David Cronenberg and classic horror literature. Laura Moss approaches the concept of body horror and extreme maternal instincts from a feminist perspective, leaving a lingering impact without relying on jump scares.

There was the movie The Influencer from Shudder I watched recently and now this one. Its cool to see the streaming service evolve over a short time, and now producing some of the best horror movies coming out in recent years.

The two things which sold this movie to me, was one the medical research detail, and secondly the special effects. Although bringing someone back to life is pretty implausible, this movie goes as far as it can do to sell the idea to those (like my self) who are not medically trained.

The medical sequences do look very realistic, and the story does get dug in to the science and procedures, where most other dumbed down horror modern movies fear to tread.