RSS
Home
Blu-ray review: The Unborn
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
She could be a scream queen, one day.
What if you absorbed your twin in utero and that twin was pissed off, came back in ghost form, and wanted to kill you? It's a terrifying idea, but one that David Goyer fails to deliver on in The Unborn.
Casey Beldon's mother was locked up in an institution and died when Casey was a little girl. Now Casey is starting to have visions of a little boy who "wants to be born now" and fears she'll suffer the same fate as her mother. As it turns out, a part of one of Casey's eyes has recently turned blue, something that often happens with twins, especially when one absorbs the other. Thing is, she didn't absorb her twin, her twin just died in the womb; rather, he committed suicide by hanging himself with an umbilical cord. Or fetus Casey killed him. It's up to the imagination here. As more and more outrageous phenomena begins to happen around her, Casey is in a race to uncover her family history and beg a rabbi (played by Gary Oldman) to give her an exorcism.
The Unborn is written and directed by David Goyer, most recognized for his writing credits on the Blade series, as well as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. During promotion for The Unborn, the commercials would say "from one of the writers of The Dark Knight". Yes, one of the writers. Not all of them. If Goyer had once again partnered with the Nolan brothers, we might have an intelligent film on our hands, but that isn't the case. Lest ye forget Goyer also wrote Jumper, the abomination of a movie that had the gall to try and convince movie goers that Hayden Christiansen could actually headline a film.
When it comes to The Unborn, the writing is a bit all over the place. Instead of focusing on one or two elements, it meanders throughout three or four, never efficiently tying any loose ends up and falling flat. Especially disappointing is a "twist" at the end which you can see coming from approximately twenty minutes in. Perhaps if Goyer had kept the film more simple, this twist would have been more effective. This isn't to say that Goyer isn't a talented writer, but when working on his own, he's hit or miss, and in this case, he's definitely missed the mark. Goyer fares better with comic book material, as evidenced by his work on Nolan's Batman films and the Blade trilogy (the first and second were great, his third installment was..let's just say: Jessica Biel crying in a shower).
The cinematography and effects in The Unborn are beautiful and scary, respectively. Although some scenes skewed a bit dark (the rule generally goes that if something in horror is too dark, the director is either covering up some sloppy editing, or he's simply made a poor lighting choice). Set in the winter, the movie is filled with blues and icy blacks, lending a chilling atmosphere. The CGI is deftly handled and used with respect, putting an emphasis on make-up (with help from the prestigious KNB Effects folks). The one effect highlighted in the trailers the most, with an old man spider-crawling like Regan in The Exorcist, is terrifying.
Unfortunately, the acting is not nearly as exciting as the effects. Odette Yustman, known for playing Beth in Cloverfield, is no leading lady...yet. She's sort of an every girl: they could have cast anyone in this role and it wouldn't have mattered. Perhaps with some time and more supporting roles, she'll become memorable. The supporting cast of her friends and family are equally forgettable. Gary Oldman, as Rabbi Sendak, is the only actor in the film that stands out. Sadly, he stands out because he feels like he's acting in an entirely different movie altogether. It's as if he walked in on the wrong set and just kept acting anyway.
Ultimately, The Unborn isn't worth a purchase or a repeated viewing, but it's worth a once-over. The Blu-ray is worth the cost of rental for the effects and cinematography alone. Jump scares are a plenty, and the PG-13 rating means little gore. This is a film where the climax isn't nearly as enjoyable as the build-up. Where Goyer failed in writing, he succeeds in directing, and proves that he is capable of venturing out on his own as a director.
\
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Horror
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray
Running time: 88 minutes
Starring: Odette Yustman, Cam Gigandet, Gary Oldman, Idris Elba
Written by: David Goyer
Directed by: David Goyer
You can rent this at Netflix, or buy it from Amazon.
See also: Houston Movie Examiner's DVD review
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
.jpg)
