A Film by Hanna Bergholm (Director of Hatching)
Starring Seidi Haarla and Rupert Grint
STREAMING ON SHUDDER STARTING FRIDAY, JULY 31ST
Fantasia Film Festival – North American Premiere
Wednesday, July 22nd at 9:30pm
Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU (Hall Theater)
Filmmaker Hanna Bergholm in attendance
“A grisly yet sensitive take on the old maxim that every baby is different. An effective blend of Finnish mythology and Cronenbergian horror.”
– Catherine Bray, VARIETY
“Audacious motherhood horror. Bergholm’s striking visual language and Harla’s propulsive central performance give the film its own entertaining resonance.”
– Nikki Baughan, SCREEN DAILY
“Parenting is a nightmare in this darkly funny and unabashedly gory horror flick. Bergholm has a deft, darkly comic touch that turns classic child-rearing moments into sequences that make you want to laugh and cringe at the same time.”
– Jordan Mintzer, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Synopsis
With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga (Seidi Haarla, Compartment No. 6) and her British husband Jon (Rupert Grint, Knock at the Cabin) move to the isolated house where she spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish forest. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son. As their marriage starts to crack, Jon struggles to support his wife, but only Saga suspects the terrible truth about her newborn.
From the director of Hatching, NIGHTBORN is a visceral, gripping and terrifying dark fable about motherhood and unconditional maternal love.
About the Director
Hanna Bergholm is a Finnish film director. Her debut feature film, horror drama Hatching, had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2022 and has been sold to over 75 countries. Rotten Tomatoes named Hatching the 8th Best Horror Movie of 2022 in the Golden Tomato Awards. At film festivals Hatching has won awards and nominations including the Grand Prize and Youth Jury Award at the Gérardmer film festival in France, award for the best special effects in Sitges and three Jussi Awards in Finland. Previously Bergholm has directed internationally awarded short films and TV drama series.
Director: Hanna Bergholm
Screenwriters: Ilja Rautsi and Hanna Bergholm
Cast: Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey, John Thomson, Silvia Saloranta
Producer: Daniel Kuitunen
Executive Producers: Brahim Chioua, Nick Shumaker, David Levine, Scott Shooman, Emily Gotto
Cinematographer: Pietari Peltola
Editor: Jussi Rautaniemi
Language: English, Finnish
Runtime: 92 mins
