Official synopsis
A woman navigates the complex journey of motherhood while confronting her deepest fears and anxieties.
Review
Director Johanna Moder’s Austria/Germany/Switzerland coproduction Mother’s Baby is a top-notch addition to the time-honored maternity horror subgenre. This intriguing take doesn’t involve the often-used occult angle, but I’ll leave it at that so as not to spoil matters.
Julia (Marie Leuenberger) is a 40-year-old celebrated orchestra leader. She and her businessman husband Georg (Hans Low) are having trouble conceiving, so they visit Dr. Vilfort (Claes Bang) at his specialized but secretive fertility clinic in Vienna. Vilfort is the overly reassuring type who sends off strange vibes, but with his help the couple are on their way to becoming parents. Once Julia delivers their baby, though, the infant is whisked away by clinic staff and when returned later, Julia begins to suspect that their child has been switched with another.
Moder, who cowrote the screenplay with Arne Kohlweyer, does an excellent job of offering breadcrumbs that make both Julia’s suspicion possible or the result of escalating paranoia and, as some characters maintain, postpartum stress and depression. Leuenberger is outstanding in her role, conveying a wide range of emotions with her multifaceted character. The supporting players all give solid performances, too, including Julia Franz Richter as midwife Gerlinde, who seems to care for the baby more than Julia.
Mother’s Baby is a slow burner that delivers fine drama and works toward a satisfying conclusion. It deals in paranoia and slow-building suspense and suspicion rather than going for outright shocks, though there are plenty of discomfiting events on display. Highly recommended for its direction, performances, and ability to keep viewers wondering about what is really happening regarding Julia and her oddly quiet baby.
Mother’s Baby screened as part of Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, which took place from October 16–25 at Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg.
