Hatching

A nice Finnish horror oddity that in my opinion loses at least half a star because of the sequence where the monster looks like a disembodied mutant chicken. That part doesn't take away from an otherwise serious horror flick, but it’s a blast of dark fairytale/fantasy aesthetic that I don’t think sits well with the rest of the film. 7/10 (19.05.2022)

I have very mixed feelings about this film. The premise and the idea of the film is great, but the execution is not worth much. The first punch in the face was the failed casting of the child actors, the second punch for me was the likeness of the creature (bird). The whole thing felt more comical than believable. I was expecting the whole climax of the plot from the 20th minute of the film, so I didn't take away any special experience from the cinema. I rather don't recommend this weird movie. Finnish filmmaking can offer more interesting titles. (21.01.2023)

Decent monster-body horror from Finland! This is the second most praised horror film of the year abroad (together with X it starts at a solid 68%) and it's a decent and definitely essential horror film for Finland, bringing some fresh wind and originality to the body horror subgenre. It centers on a young gymnast who wants to please her mother and make it to a tournament at all costs, but once she kills a raven in the woods and steals its eggs, a very bizarre monster-bird hatches and gradually starts to turn into something even more bizarre. The great practical and make-up effects are worth praising – there’s one shocking scene with a dog and an unexpected one at the end. the performances (mother and daughter) are good too. The rest of the characters are not very engaging, they're either dull or uninteresting, and the pace is rather more sedate, but the film bizarre and disturbing enough to hold the viewer's attention. Similar in mood and type to Goodnight Mommy, only spiced up with the nonster-body horror subgenre. Story 3/5. Action 1/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 3/5, Fun 3/5 Music 4/5, Visual-Masks 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 2/5, Actors 4/5. 7/10. (02.05.2022)

Let me start with the negatives. I'm not a fan of child actors (and actresses, to respect gender equality). The human-birdrat’s appearance and motions weren’t very convincing either, so I soon resigned to the fact that I made the wrong choice. My surprise was all the more pleasant when the film turned out to be a very decent psychological drama with horror elements. The Finns have once again shown me why they are among my favorite European filmmakers. Let's face it, the premise was less than ideal, but they managed to turn it into a film with an atmosphere, that didn't lack tension, urgency, or critique of today's insta-parents. The biggest surprise for me was the thirteen-year-old Siiri Solalinna’s debut. She was hardly ever off-screen and played her role damn well. I also have to commend the film's director Hanna Bergholm, who ignored current trends, didn’t bother with feminist propaganda or politically correct quota, and made a film with a delightfully depressing tone. / Lesson learned: When you look up from your phone, you’ll see life all around you. And death. (18.10.2022)