Horror films are a dime a dozen these days and leave us disappointed more often than not. But a new horror film, Bed Rest, hit me like a sledgehammer and left me feeling a gambit of emotions.
Bed Rest, starring Scream actress Melissa Barrera, who plays the role of a young mother, still grieving the loss of her previous baby, finds herself pregnant and prescribed bed rest in her new home. It doesn’t take long to realize she and her husband are not alone in the house. With no one believing her, she sets out to find a way to save her baby and find out what message the spirits are trying to tell her.
Okay, you may be wondering what makes this horror movie so special. First, the movie is intense, spooky, and frequently heartbreaking. The story pulls you in and doesn’t let go. It has a two-prong strategy. One, it hits you with a heartbreaking story about grief and loss and a woman’s struggle to cope with the death of a child, and her fears and worries about protecting the new child within her at all costs. The second is good old-fashioned paranormal horror, featuring ghosts and things that go bump in the night. The two will affect different viewers in different ways in this female-driven film. But there’s also more to the story that will speak more to the female audience. Don’t get me wrong, men will enjoy it, too, just in a different way. I believe women will connect to the emotional and psychological side of the film, with men connecting more to the paranormal aspects. In other words, there’s something for everyone. I will say this; it wouldn’t hurt if you have a box of tissues on standby because it has a lot of emotional, heartwrenching moments.
When it comes to casting, they could not have found a more perfect lead. Scream star Melissa Barrera is absolutely amazing! She made her character Julie feel real, and the way she captured her character’s emotions, fear, grief, and paranoia were spectacular. I can’t help but feel like this is her best performance to date.
As for Guy Burnet, who plays Julie’s husband, he did wonderfully with his character representing how men often deal with the situation, not understanding what Julie is really going through and desperately trying to put their loss behind him. Often men do respond that way, wanting to put things like the loss of a baby behind them almost like it never happened. Men just seem to cope differently.
Best Rest, while being spooky and scary, focuses on human emotion and struggles. It brings up topics that need to be discussed. Women should not have to carry the main burden of loss by themselves as if it’s taboo. To heal, things like the death of a baby need to be discussed and stop being treated like a woman’s dirty little secret. Women shouldn’t have to feel ashamed, but until it’s something that is normalized, many will continue to suffer alone in silence.
I got the feeling early in the film that it came from something real. Writer-director Lori Evan Taylor told us in an interview that the story came from a personal place and shows in the film. She used the film as a way to cope with her own loss. The fact that she was willing to pour her heart and sorrow into something so public shows incredible strength. There’s something else that makes the film impressive: it marks Taylor’s directorial debut. With Bed Rest being so good, I feel like Taylor will be a force to be reckoned with in the industry.
In conclusion, Bed Rest is powerful, emotional, and spooky as hell. The way all of those aspects are combined so seamlessly is simply brilliant. It will leave you on the edge of your seat. It can also be cathartic for those who have dealt with loss. I highly recommend you check it out as well as our interview with Lori Evans Taylor, who is currently busy writing the script for Final Destination 6. The good news is that you can now watch Bed Rest for free. It’s a Tubi Original and is undoubtedly the best one they’ve released so far.
