Official synopsis
Desperate to save their unborn daughter from fatal complications, an expectant couple turns to a mysterious midwife.
Review
As director Jan Verdijk’s chiller Kind (Netherlands, 2025) opens, couple Leon (Vincent van der Valk) and Jaimy (Noortje Herlaar) suffer through a miscarriage. They name the child Mick and visit a fertility clinic, where they are told their chances of having another baby are slim. A nurse hands them a pamphlet for “Mothers of Nature,” an alternative place where an open-minded Jaimy and a highly skeptical Leon are practically guaranteed by midwife Nicole (Tamar van den Dop) that they will have a baby girl if they follow her holistic care instructions. This being a genre film that plays in the psychological horror and science fiction realms, viewers can expect things to go awry.
And that they do, and though events unfold at a slow-burn pace, the sense of paranoia and dread keep the proceedings intriguing throughout. Verdijk, working from a screenplay written by Paul de Vrijer, invests the film with elements of classic maternity-trauma scare fare but also with surprising twists, including one highly unexpected turn that works brilliantly.
The cast is remarkable, with Herlaar and van der Valk providing terrific chemistry as a troubled couple. Van den Dop leads the supporting players, with a performance that perfectly fits the mysterious character she portrays. Verdijk allows plenty of emotionally charged time to get to know these characters well so that when the insanity of the third act unfolds, viewers are totally invested in them and their fates.
Devotees of maternity-themed and science fiction horror, take note: you will want to place the splendidly acted, impressively directed Kind on your need-to-see lists.
Kind screened as part of Austin Film Festival 2025, which took place October 23–30.
