El nonato

A childless couple (Brooke Adams, Jeff Hayenga) go to a doctor (James Karen) to try to conceive. It works but Adams slowly becomes aware that there's something seriously wrong with the baby...

Pretty interesting idea is thoroughly done in by a lousy script--the basic idea is OK but becomes screamingly predictable towards the end. I saw every "twist" coming. The direction is poor--he seems to have no idea how to shoot a basic scene. The production values are--to be nice--lousy. Very shabby. And, the gore scenes are too unpleasant (I almost turned it off when a pregnant woman started stabbing herself in the stomach) with lousy special effects. The film completely derails at the end when it becomes quite clear they had no idea HOW to end this film.

Some good acting makes it somewhat bearable. Adams, Hayenga and Karen are all good at their roles and kept me watching but that was about it. This film barely got released in 1991 and still remains unknown--it's easy to see why. I give it a 4.

This is a disturbing horror film - not for all tastes and definitely not for the faint of heart! It is about a doctor who is creating superhuman foetuses without the mothers' knowledge. Unfortunately, there are extreme side-effects. "The Unborn" is much more poignantly frightening than "Rosemary's Baby" primarily because of the brilliant, sharply spooky musical score by the "Godfather of Electronica" - Gary Numan - and the very graphic, shocking, and adrenaline-releasing final moments of the film; however, poor production standards and not the greatest acting (has somewhat of a B-Movie flavour) prevent the film from becoming one of the better films of its kind (like the aforementioned). DO NOT WATCH THIS ALONE IN THE DARK! (6 out of 10)

The unfertile Virginia (Brooke Adams) and her husband, Brad Marshall (Jeff Hayenga), decide to join an experimental in-vitro fertilization program developed by Dr. Richard Meyerling (James Karen). The trial succeeds, but along the pregnancy, Virginia finds that something weird is happening with the fetus.

"The Unborn" is a very reasonable low-budget horror movie. Bizarre in some moments, grotesque in others, and dark as a whole, this movie has a very strong and disturbing scene, when a pregnant woman stabs herself in the belly. Therefore, it is certainly not recommended to pregnant women watch this film. I do not agree with the comparison with the masterpiece "Rosemary's Baby", since the stories are totally different, having in common only the pregnancy of something weird. I found this movie a good entertainment. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Bebê Maldito" ("The Damned Baby")

THE UNBORN is the story of Virginia Marshall (Brooke Adams) and her many, fruitless attempts to get pregnant. She and her husband go to see Dr. Meyerling (James Karen), who offers an answer to Virginia's problem. Soon thereafter, Virginia undergoes the Dr.'s procedure, and it appears to have done the trick.

Then, Virginia's friend, who also happens to be a Meyerling client, experiences a case of EHCS (Eeevil Homicidal Child Syndrome), and another patient contacts Virginia with disturbing information, causing her to suspect that something nefarious is going on. She also notices a change in her own behavior.

The next thing we know, she goes haywire, kills her cat, and wrecks her house! This scene is quite a knee-slapper! The best part of the movie comes when Virginia appears on a live, morning talk show, only to go totally berserk! Now, THAT'S entertainment!

In no time, Virginia's on the run, and her birthing class teacher (Kathy Griffin) is getting her brains knocked out with a hammer! Of course, nothing can prepare you for the "abortion aftermath / dumpster / killer baby sequence"!

Yecch!

The freakish, fetal finale is a real brain-popper as well!

Preposterous, yet somehow watchable, and permeated by an oddly flat musical score by Gary Numan, this movie adds extra cheddar to its overly dour, early 1990's horror vibe...

The Unborn is a pretty good low-budget horror movie exploiting the fears associated with pregnancy. It's very well acted by the always-good Brooke Adams and b-movie stalwart James Karen, although the supporting cast is pretty average for a b-grader. The music, by Gary Numan of all people, is good too. Henry Dominic's script is quite intelligent for this sort of thing, although there is a hint of misogyny about it. Rodman Fender's direction is merely adequate, and there are some unnecessary cheap scares. If you're a fan of Adams, whose movie career is nowhere near as illustrious as it should be, check it out; she's great, as always.