Birth/Rebirth

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.

Phew, that was... emotionally exhausting. Technically this seemed much more like a dark, atmospheric drama... however I FEEL like I just watched a horror, so that's a new and interesting experience that I appreciated.

There was so much to be appreciated about this movie. The story was intriguing and engaging. It took a subject matter that was familiar, yet out of the grasp of our current reality and made it feel feasible and realistic. It was done with a finesse and tact that was eerie, unsettling, yet relatable.

A large portion of the success here is due to the performances by our two leads. The mother did a great job giving a gut wrenching performance, and the doctor in particular served us a character that was so unrelatable yet so round, consistent and realistic. They both did a pretty stellar job.

The pacing got just slightly off mainly towards the middle and dragged a bit, but nothing that was unredeemable. I was pretty glued to the screen, taking in the beautiful picture quality, a bit of gnarly gore, an intriguing story and some truly solid acting. I found myself wanting more once it was finished, but in a good way. Would recommend.

Oh my word. This is the type of movie that you just stare at the screen after it's all done and ask yourself, what in the world did I just watched......but in a good way. The story for me was brilliant, original and surprising.

The bloody beginning got me really curious but after half way in, I was still wondering what this was movie about. Was it about illegal organ trade market? Was it about a mad doctor eating organs who does IVF on herself? It was just weird and naturally all fingers were pointing at this doctor, not knowing the person I thought would be the antagonist wasn't. It's a really smart but wierd story. I loved the acting and the characters.

Definitely not for the inpatient. This is a movie that requires your full attention inorder to truly appreciate what is going on. Give it a moment if you love drama/thrillers.

Mortician Rose discovers how to bring the dead back. Unfortunately, it's a work in progress; her latest subject is Lila, a young girl who died of meningitis. Her mum, Celie, a nurse, gets in on the project to keep her daughter alive.

I saw the name Shudder in the opening credits, and I imagined a naff, low-budget affair. What followed really surprised me. Talk about Frankenstein's daughter: a tried-and- tested story brought up to date and very effectively rewired.

Not horror in my eyes, but more a suspense thriller with a couple of shocks thrown in. There are a few nasty scenes, particularly towards the end; we learn exactly the lengths a mum will go to for her child. It would perhaps have benefited from one or two touches of humor; they could have enhanced the film a little.

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Marin Ireland. Talk about intense! But the whole cast performed very well. It's not brilliant, but it's definitely worth watching.

7/10.

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.