Nightborn (Yön Lapsi) 

Picking up where last year’s Berlinale left off (Welcome Home, Baby; Mother’s Baby), Nightborn is another entry in the ever-thriving genre of motherhood horror – only this one doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously.

Jon (Rupert Grint) and Saga (Compartment No 6’s Seidi Haarla) trade their London life for Finland, intent on putting down roots. No sooner do they begin renovations on the forest house Saga inherited from her grandmother, than she falls pregnant. Once the baby is born, the new mother starts to notice strange things about little Kuura: excessive hair growth, a sensitivity to light and an inexplicable thirst for blood.

Hanna Bergholm’s follow up to the 2022 surprise hit, Hatching, taps into the fears of new parents, from worrying about accidentally harming the child and questioning whether they are bonding correctly to fretting over “its” developmental milestones. The overarching question seems to be “Is this normal?”.

As real as these anxieties may be, Nightborn has fun wrapping them in a supernatural setting, and seizes every opportunity it can to douse its actors in blood. The tree design is absolutely stunning, and the way it plays with perception results in striking imagery. Strong editing choices in the first minutes actively secure the viewer’s engagement, preventing the familiar premise from feeling too predictable, or the contained setting from becoming confining. As the film progresses, the bold execution gradually tapers off and doesn’t fully stick the landing in the final act.

At least a dozen babies are listed in the credits as portraying Kuurra at various stages of growth, however, the infant seen on screen looks consistently animatronic – something that works in favour of its uncanny nature. The movements are almost too slow and measured to be entirely human. Glimpses the audience is given succeed in piquing their interest, but fail to cohere with the full presence, when the child is finally revealed.

Rupert Grint’s dry comments serve as a comedic highlight, and while his character has the best intentions throughout the piece, one cannot help but understand his partner’s mounting exasperation with him. There is a clear objective of escalation, but in between the extremes there are times when the performances can feel strained. As Saga – a raw nerve ending of hormones and sleep deprivation – tries to stop herself from yelling at her husband, we see the labour of an actress trying to find the right tone, rather than a woman fighting for composure.

Contrary to many of its predecessors, Nightborn prioritises amusement and thrill over the need to be read as a dead-on social allegory of postpartum life. Because it delivers so effectively on that promise, its flaws are easily forgiven.

Selina Sondermann

Nightborn (Yön Lapsi)  does not have a release date yet.

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