Still/Born
Still/Born is a 2017 Canadian horror film directed and co-written by Brandon Christensen and starring Christie Burke and Jesse Moss. It premiered on April 29, 2017 at the Overlook Film Festival and received generally positive reviews, with critics praising Burke's performance as Mary.
Still/Born | |
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Promotional release poster | |
Directed by | Brandon Christensen |
Produced by | Chris Ball Kurtis David Harder Colin Minihan |
Written by | Brandon Christensen Colin Minihan |
Starring |
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Music by | Blitz//Berlin |
Cinematography | Bradley Stuckel |
Production company | Digital Interference Productions Hadron Films |
Distributed by | Vertical Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
Plot
Mary (Christie Burke), in her first pregnancy, gives birth to twins. However, only one of them survives. Mary, then, starts showing postpartum depression symptoms and get convinced that an evil entity wants to take her baby.
After Marys husband leaves for a business trip things start to happen and Mary starts to fear for her childs life.
Cast
- Christie Burke as Mary
- Jesse Moss as Jack
- Rebecca Olson as Rachel
- Jenn Griffin as Jane
- Michael Ironside as Dr. Neilson
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Still/Born has an approval rating of 67% based on 21 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Still/Born puts an intriguing psychological spin on its supernatural horror story, elevated by standout work from star Christie Burke."[1] On Metacritic, another review aggregator, the film has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 4 critics, meaning "generally favorable reviews".[2] Noel Murray from Los Angeles Times wrote: "First-time feature director Brandon Christensen brings some impressive snap to the postnatal spook-show “Still/Born.” Christensen and co-writer Colin Minihan mostly repeat old beats from suburban supernatural horror films like “Poltergeist” and “Paranormal Activity,” but strong actors and lean, unfussy storytelling ought to be more than enough to please genre buffs."[3] Frank Scheck writing for The Hollywood Reporter stated: "Tapping into elemental motherhood fears, not to mention the specter of post-partum depression, Still/Born works most effectively in its subtler, more enigmatic moments than when it indulges in familiar horror film conventions. Nevertheless, it does offer a consistent level of tension, a few decent scares and a terrific lead turn by Christie Burke."[4] Nick Allen on his RogerEbert.com's review, gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and said: "Still/Born” doesn't get as many points as one would hope for originality. But this is an inspired-enough take on a woman's horror, where the fear of losing her other baby becomes a terror itself, as expressed through an excellent performance."[5]
References
- "Still/Born". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- "Still/Born". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- Murray, Noel. "Review: 'Still/Born' hones in on the nightmares of new parents". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- Scheck, Frank. "'Still/Born': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- Allen, Nick. "Still/Born". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019.