The Suckling

The Suckling looks great on paper as a low-budget variation on Alien set in a brothel that also operates as an illegal abortion clinic, where an aborted mutated foetus is thrown into the sewer and proceeds to go on a rampage. The film serves up a full range of wild situations, which its creators set in motion from the start. Only after the delightfully over-the-top beginning does the filmmakers’ lack of good sense start to become apparent, as they probably thought that, instead of moronic bullshit, they were shooting a regular horror movie in which it would be necessary to develop the characters and construct their story arcs. The consequence of that is numerous and hopelessly drawn-out dialogue sequences and interactions between characters who are utterly uninteresting. As if that wasn’t enough, the filmmakers indulged in several flashbacks that needlessly stretch the film’s runtime. The Suckling is thus an alternately boring and, in some places, magnificent low-budget film that can be appreciated for its wild premise, excellent first third and fine ending, as well as for the entertainingly unconcealed limitations of its setting in a house with a handful of rooms. (29.10.2022)