BIRTH/REBIRTH -- The Most Realistic Horror Film You'll See All Year

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Marin Ireland as “Rose” in Laura Moss’ BIRTH/REBIRTH. Courtesy of Shudder. An IFC Films release.

Frankenstein is one of my favorite horror movies. It was so popular back in the day it spawned a sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein, also directed by James Whale. It was a film that, when I watched it, made me think that maybe people could come back from the dead. And then of course, many years later, George A. Romero started the zombie genre with Night of the Living Dead. Then I forgot all about that thought I had about people coming back from the dead. That is until I saw birth/rebirth. 

This movie brought back the science of bringing people back from the dead in a realistic way. It focuses on a morgue technician and a nurse who is the mother of a little girl. They are both dedicated to their jobs at the same hospital in different ways. The mother, played by Judy Reyes, works a lot and leaves her daughter with the neighbor across the hall. When a tragedy happens and the little girl dies of bacterial meningitis, it tears her apart. When the body ends up in the morgue, the doctor in charge played by Marin Ireland takes the opportunity to try an experiment on the child, which has some interesting results.

This film has a realistic take on a horrifying story. When I saw The Bride of Frankenstein, it threw me for a loop, but birth/rebirth was very dark in its science and the way these two women handled this situation. They do things no medical personnel should ever do in their careers. They comprise their Hippocratic oath for the sake of personal and scientific gain. This film tries to say a mother would do anything for a child, but I think there is a line they wouldn't cross. ​

Judy Reyes as "Celie" in Laura Moss's birth/rebirth. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films Release.

The two main actresses are very believable in their roles as a doctor and nurse. All the various medical jargon is used in a real way. I felt like these women knew what they were talking about, even when they were doing questionable things, like ordering the wrong tests or stealing things from the hospital they work for. These women did an exceptional job. 

Director/writer Laura Moss creates an atmosphere full of anxiety and suspicion. That's the scariest part about birth/rebirth. There are many kinds of horror movies, and this is one of the scariest I've seen because it could actually happen someday. The two main actresses Reyes and Ireland were very believable in their roles. They actually made me scared because of what they were doing and could potentially do if this was a real situation. This movie built suspense until it got completely batshit crazy, and it’s effective as a result.

birth/rebirth hits theaters on August 18.

Rating: 3.5/5