The Womb (2022) Review – A Slow-Burning Indonesian Pregnancy Horror

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at Indonesian pregnancy horror The Womb.

Pregnancy themed horror

The Womb (Inang) follows the story of Wulan. Wulan has fallen pregnant to a deadbeat man she met on Facebook. Working a menial job with a lecherous manager, she lives in a tiny home that she can’t afford and is quickly becoming desperate.

“Pregnancy is a vulnerable stage of life. In turn, this makes the characters in such movies easy to relate to and to sympathise with.”

Wanting the best for her child, Wulan contacts an older couple looking to adopt a baby. They offer to accommodate her in their large house until she gives birth. They will then adopt the child allowing her to visit whenever she likes. Wulan accepts but quickly begins to feel uneasy with the agreement.

The pregnancy theme is a fairly common one in horror. The fears and concerns that come with carrying a child are easily exploited for scares. The mother’s desire to do the best for her unborn baby can make for an interesting story prop. Be it through natural suspicion of those around her or having to defend herself and her child from threats. Mama bears make for fantastic horror protagonists. I think most people recognise pregnancy as being a vulnerable stage of life. In turn, this makes the characters in such movies easy to relate to and to sympathise with.

Extremely familiar

This theme offers a number of different approaches to horror. Dream Home and Inside go for violent and visceral nastiness. Others manage to utilise either real or imagined threat as is the case with Rosemary’s Baby and Baby Ruby. The Womb falls, predominantly, into the latter category. There is a distinct similarity to Rosemary’s Baby here and much of the horror plays out in a similar way to the seminal horror classic. Director Fajar Nugros attempts to build tension through mounting paranoia. It works fairly effectively but feels all too familiar.

We have been here before. Despite themes of the occult and satanism being pushed to one side, with The Womb, there is an inescapable sense of déjà vu. The elderly couple, Agus and Eva, seem a little quirky and almost overly accommodating of Wulan. They have a bizarre insistence on Wulan consuming certain, specific, foods and drinks – something else which is deeply reminiscent of Polanski’s horror masterpiece.

“There is a distinct similarity to Rosemary’s Baby here. Director Fajar Nugros attempts to build tension through mounting paranoia. It works effectively but feels all too familiar.”

As the movie goes on, this feeling of familiarity only grows. Wulan becomes more paranoid and begins to believe something is wrong. Moments of subtle exposition hint at the family’s tainted past causing Wulan’s suspicions to grow and the tension to increase.

The Womb then takes something of a turn. The plot switches up a little in a somewhat unexpected and welcome way. Although not having a tremendous impact on the overall feeling of the movie, it does wash away some of those feelings of “seen it all before” that the movie was all too guilty of. The pacing changes as a result of this and the movie feels a little more fresh. It doesn’t, however, manage to shake the predictability that haunts it throughout. Despite being a somewhat interesting horror, The Womb offers few surprises and even fewer scares.

Fairly tense but extremely slow

Naturally, horror movies like this tend to avoid jump scares. They usually place their focus on atmosphere and tension. With this in mind, it’s not as if The Womb is devoid of such traits. It’s all just a little clichéd and not particularly original. In attempting to unsettle the viewer, The Womb invites them to play a guessing game of “what will happen next” — a game that the majority of horror fans will win every time. It has simply all been done before. Whether Wulan is hiding in a closet or listening in on a conversation, it is easy to see what is coming and the resulting outcomes are always easy to predict.

The Womb doesn’t manage to do much with its impressive location, either. A large house surrounded by forest offers hints of potential. Trees to hide behind and different parts of the house to investigate. It is all very tantalising but never truly realised. The fact that the movie runs for nearly two hours does not help.

“The fact that the movie runs for nearly two hours does not help. Two hours is a big ask for any horror movie; you are just begging for the viewer to lose interest.”

Two hours is a big ask for any horror movie; you are just begging for the viewer to lose interest. The quickly dissipating tension and predictability do nothing to support the glacial pace. The movie’s heavy drama leaning becomes its downfall. It is just not that interesting. If you dislike slow burn horror, this is, unequivocally, not the movie for you.

Well acted and fairly watchable

This is still a watchable movie, for the patient, though. Fans of psychological horror will likely find plenty to enjoy. The Indonesian setting makes for interesting visuals, there are some excellent, tongue-in-cheek, moments of humour, and acting is generally decent. The elderly couple, played by Lydia Kandou and Rukman Rosadi, are quirky and well acted. Naysila Mirdad, as Wulan, is a sympathetic protagonist portrayed believably. Dimas Anggara, as Bergas, is tons of fun. I loved him randomly breaking out into English, an Asian media trope that never gets old for me. The whole cast is great.

Cinematography is fine and locations are interesting. The dichotomy between the large, opulent, house and the deprived area of Wulan’s home is stark. It does a nice job of highlighting her plight and desperation. Pacing is a mixed bag. The opening of the movie takes a long time to get going.

It quickens up as the movie goes on, though, leading to a speedy final quarter. An ending that is a mix of both surprising and predictable seems fitting. All in all, The Womb is promising but bogged down by its familiarity and flaws.

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A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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