Nightborn [Fantasia International Film Festival Review]

by Mike McGranaghan

Like Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen, Nightborn might give childless viewers second thoughts about having children. Those who already have children may be inclined to drop to their knees and give thanks they didn’t have to go through anything resembling the nightmare scenario portrayed in this story. Hanna Bergholm’s chiller won the Cheval Noir Trophy for Best Film at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival. Deservedly so. The movie is absolutely worth seeing, although you should prepare to be disturbed because you definitely will be.

Saga (Seidi Haarla) and husband Jon (Rupert Grint) move into the rundown Finnish forest home where the former grew up. Their intent is to have three children within five years. Sure enough, Saga is soon pregnant. As soon as her baby boy pops out, it’s obvious there is a problem. Kuura, as they call him, is covered in hair. He never stops shrieking. During breastfeeding, he sucks so hard that Saga’s nipples bleed. Things get worse from there. Jon tries to carry on as if everything is normal, but she suspects there’s a supernatural force in the forest that is tormenting her through the infant.

A lot is going on in Nightborn, all of it good. The movie works at a basic horror level, with Kuura demonstrating shocking behaviors, a taste for blood among them. Several scenes deliver primal shocks, most notably the traumatic birthing scene – a visual effect so gross, I had to go back and watch it a second time. The forest outside adds a sinister presence to the story, with mangled trees looking suspiciously like they have human body parts. If you’re seeking to be scared, that desire will be fulfilled.

A strong human element allows those scares to hit harder. Haarla and Grint give pitch-perfect performances, convincingly portraying how the Saga/Jon marriage breaks down as a result of the situation. He refuses to acknowledge that something is wrong, blaming her instead. She starts to wonder if she’s losing her mind because nobody believes her. The film additionally deals with the theme of mother/child bonding. Kuura’s troubling behaviors make it difficult for Saga to connect with him, a fact that leaves her depressed and self-critical. Others criticize her, too, for not displaying sufficient nurturing toward her child.

Bergholm, who also made the wonderfully weird Hatching, is very skilled at mixing extreme horror with down-to-earth themes. That’s certainly true here. What transpires over the course of ninety-two minutes is downright gruesome, but you can easily sympathize with the characters, and the scenarios, while exaggerated for fright effect, are relatable. Moody cinematography adds immeasurably to the tone, underlining both the supernatural and the parental drama.

Nightborn is frequently uncomfortable to watch yet you can’t take your eyes off it. 2026 has already been a banner year for the horror genre. Here’s another jewel in its crown.

Nightborn begins streaming on Shudder July 31, 2026.

---