NIGHTBORN
Filmmaker Hanna Bergholm brings Fantasia 2026 audiences a twisted tale of motherhood and Finnish folk horror in NIGHTBORN. Newlywed couple Saga and Jon arrive at Saga’s childhood home in Finland. It is an enchanting, if not slightly spooky, house hidden deep in the eerily shaped woods. Following the birth of their son, motherhood proves challenging when Saga suspects her child is not like other babies.
Written by Ilja Rautsi and Bergholm, the script cleverly combines tropes, such as the language barrier, with the real-life, unfiltered physical horrors of birth and motherhood. Unless you’ve experienced the very real blood, sweat, and tears that Saja goes through in the first 15 minutes of the film, one might think they are exaggerated.
The emotional exhaustion of being another creature’s lifeblood is often overwhelming. The constant realization that survival depends on your every moment of attention can be too much. Family members try to help, but can unintentionally make things worse. Rautsi and Bergholm play upon a mother’s inherent instincts. They give Saga enhanced hearing and a supernatural connection to the surrounding woods.
On the other hand, Rautsi and Bergholm give her family members a deep loathing for Saga that the audience does not relate to. These jarring revelations make the viewer question reality even further, as we have no basis for these accusations. Stories from her childhood, as told by her mother and sister, present as nasty. But are they true? We never know.
Production design is extraordinary. Beyond the forest’s gnarled humanoid likeness, the nursery is a mix of gothic whimsy one might see in Architectural Digest. Any 90s witchy tween will be in heaven at the sight of each carefully curated element. Practical effects are beautifully gagworthy. Yes. Yes. Yes. Birth is a miracle, blah, blah, blah, but it’s almost visceral and revolting. Anyone who tells you different is a damn liar. Talk to me after you have a C-section, thank you very much.
Rupert Grint is a proud father and fish out of water as Jon. Grint does his best impression of calm and supportive while clearly flailing in fear and helplessness. Grint has become a genre icon, ironically in stories revolving around “special” children. Seidi Haarla is sheer perfection as a mother on the verge of insanity. Her feral performance is the stuff of cinematic dreams. Along the lines of Inde Navarrette in Obsession, women in horror earn every ounce of respect and need to be called out for their vulnerability and badassery. Bravo Seidi.
We do not see Kuura’s face for 99% of the film, sneakily adding to the contextual weight. The audience feels the dizzying gaslighting and emotional state of Saga. Rautsi and Bergholm give audiences a lived-in authenticity of outside judgment and sacrifices of a mother. NIGHTBORN is a genre-inspired manifestation of nature vs nurture. Mothers will do anything for their offspring.
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
Shadowland’s initial 38 minutes drag with long, meandering shots, particularly of Iranon (“chaos magician) doing what I would lovingly refer to as “witchy shit.” As a self-professed spooky girl, I mean no disrespect by that term. Frankly, it’s narratively monotonous.
Stanley’s response is to call the women hysterical and spew conspiracy theories rather than take accountability for his actions. Iranon reenters the fray to detail when he discovers Richard’s allegations and their ensuing physical confrontation. It’s damning.
As a contrary view, Richard’s sycophant protege and priestess, Anaiya, believes that baptism will cleanse his past. Witnessing these women embrace him feels icky. It is challenging to know if her intentions are pure or an act. But Anaiya’s journey does not end there.
JE’VIDA
Young Je’Vida comes to life through the eyes of Agafia Niemenmaa. This personification of innocence is captivating against the stark quiet of Finnish snow and ice. She is a star. Sanna-Kaisa Palo gives present-day Lida a palpable lived-in trauma and definitive rage. Dismissive at the beginning, her healing journey comes with the shedding of shame and reclamation of identity through the next generation.
This endearing later-stage love story is as lovely as can be. Annie and Howard’s earnest chemistry come to life with the extraordinary performances by James Cosmo and Bríd Brennan. Beautifully paced histories of their former selves lend to its authenticity. So much of the script occurs in things unsaid.
Episodes 1 -3
***Golden Nymph Jury Special Prize Winner – 2021 Monte-Carlo TV Festival***
Streaming Exclusively on Topic Beginning February 17th
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