Welcome to Knockout Horror. We are still catching up on horror we have missed from the past year or so and today we are checking out Laura Moss’s feature length debut Birth/Rebirth. This is a movie that places a new, modern, take on the old fashioned Frankenstein tale of corpse reanimation.
Following the story of mortician Rose (Marin Ireland) and grieving mother Celie (Judy Reyes). Birth/Rebirth sees Celie’s young daughter tragically pass away from a case of bacterial meningitis.
The socially awkward Rose has been working on a way to bring things back from the dead. The star of her work is a reanimated pig called Muriel. When Celie’s daughter arrives in her morgue. She realises she has been presented with the perfect opportunity to do the same for a human. But at what cost?
A Refreshing New Take
The whole corpse reanimation thing has been done to death in horror. Frankenstein put the idea on the map but plenty of films followed with a similar theme. It’s a fascinating concept and something humans, throughout history, have been pretty obsessed with. The subject also raises a bunch of ethical questions that work brilliantly for horror. If we could reanimate the dead, should we? Would it be cruel to the person who is reanimated? What would the consequences be and would the person be the same as they were before they died?
It’s one of those themes that offers up myriad possibilities. Especially where horror is concerned. The most tantalising prospects for scares are those that fall under the “monkey’s paw” phenomenon. With the person who died coming back changed. Pet Sematary is one of the more famous examples of this but movies like Wake Wood also offer a slightly different take on the subject, as well.Â
Birth/Rebirth eschews the predictable here and goes for a completely different approach to reanimation. The question of what it would take to perform said reanimation. Rose needs certain elements only present in a fetus, a placenta, or amniotic fluid. Meaning she needs access to pregnant women to keep her subject alive. Something which puts a whole new spin on this classic horror formula.
Fascinating
Written alongside her Fry Day collaborator Brendan J. O’Brien. Moss has managed to craft a genuinely interesting and, often, quite funny take on Mary Shelley’s landmark novel from 1818.
Birth/Rebirth feels quite refreshing as, honestly, I was expecting a typical “monkey’s paw” story. Naturally, you could argue that is exactly what this movie is. And while it does occasionally venture into Pet Sematary style territory. For the most part, this is a pretty in depth take on the actual reanimation process itself.
There is a lot more focus here on how Rose reanimates her patients and how she keeps them alive. We see plenty of medical procedures taking place, around a hospital bed, and lots of research going on. It isn’t until later on in the movie that the horror starts.
Until that point, the main focus is on the scheming and underhanded techniques used by Rose and Celie to obtain the materials they need. It’s entertaining stuff and keeps you gripped throughout. Sure, it is fairly predictable in what will happen next. But there is enough meat on the bone to keep you coming back for more.
Often Comedic and Playing God
There is a slight comic edge to the events taking place. Rose is socially awkward and lacks much in the way of emotion. She forgoes pleasantries and feels no need for typical social niceties. This makes for a number of hilarious moments as Rose struggles to empathise with people and misunderstands the cues from those around her. Celie’s tough, working mum, no bullshit attitude contrasts perfectly with Rose making for some legitimately funny interactions. This is a movie that will, likely, make you laugh on a number of occasions.
The ultimate end game of Birth/Rebirth is to shine a light on the consequences of playing God. As well as the depths that humans will go to conserve the life of someone they love. The story is presented from a feminist perspective which offers up an interesting take on the subject. Something which pushes the horror to the back and emotional impact to the forefront.
Celie stands firm in her resolve despite the obvious sacrifices needed and the potential challenges that the pair will witness. And Rose’s desire to see her experiment through to the end acts as a vehicle for the two to keep pushing forwards. Moss does a great job of touching on intimate subjects such as conception, aging, infertility and the grieving process. All placed against a backdrop of science fiction horror.
As mentioned earlier, the actual horror is focused far more on the concept of reanimation than actual scares. Though there are a few scenes here and there which feel traditionally horror. There might not be quite enough for horror fans to cling on to. This is, almost, a drama movie with science fiction elements. I do, however, believe the story is dark enough, and captivating enough, to warrant checking out regardless of genre fandom.
Great Acting and a Few Downsides
Acting is, generally, fantastic. Marin Ireland is tons of fun as Rose. She absolutely nails the socially awkward, work obsessed, nature of the character. Turning her into something of a dark version of Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory. In contrast, Judy Reyes’ Celie is a no nonsense nurse who says exactly what is on her mind. Reyes is always fantastic and this performance is no exception. She always felt leagues above her Scrubs’ co-stars and her acting chops are on full display here. She is excellent. A.J. Lister does a really nice job as Celie’s daughter Lila. It can’t have been easy for such a young child to perform the role that she did but she deserves praise for her work here.
Both actors manage to do an exceptional job of conveying the heaviness of the situation. Despite the humour, the subject matter itself is never tongue in cheek and the emotional resonance of what takes place is clearly on display. You never once doubt the resolve of the characters and that is a testament to the acting on display.
Direction is great. Moss doesn’t step too far outside of the conventional but the movie looks nice and she rarely falters in shot placement. Pacing is decent though some may question the somewhat abrupt ending. Scripting is a highlight with no particularly awkward dialogue and some fantastic back and forths between the two leads.
The biggest downside I can come up with here is simply whether or not potential viewers will be interested in another Frankenstein inspired story. It could be argued that some of the loose ends are never really wrapped up and there are places that the story could have gone that it never went to. I would also hazard to suggest that Moss took few chances here. Perhaps resulting in something of a vanilla feeling to the movie and a lack of surprises. This may put some people off and may leave some feeling a little short changed or, dare I say it, bored.
Should You Watch Birth/Rebirth
If you are feeling like checking out a more modern take on the whole Frankenstein formula, you should definitely watch Birth/Rebirth. A fairly interesting story is propped up by some fantastic performances, excellent character dynamics and some brilliant dialogue. While the movie doesn’t take too many chances; it is still captivating and there is just enough horror to keep most genre fans happy. A refreshing take on this type of concept, I thought Birth/Rebirth was a great watch.
