A young pregnant woman goes to work in a building about to be destroyed. With her security partner, they come across unusual things and happenings on their first night. As these things escalate, they must decide what to do and find a way out.
Written by Danny Matier and directed by Tal Lazar, this supernatural thriller has a bit of everything including an empty, creepy building, vast empty spaces, creepy noises, creepy kids, potential other presences, … It’s got a lot and it works with some nice body horror thrown in for good measure. The body horror is definitely a favorite aspect here and it’s cringy in the best of ways. This is something that should have had just a little more here and there and it would have made the film something else. As is, it’s a creepy film that knows how to use light and sound to the best possible effect in certain scenes.
The performances here are good with Manny L. Perez and Chris Bellant as the two security guards left in the building after dark giving the best of the bunch. The two of them really sell the film and the creep factor throughout the film. Their work together is great and their work apart also works as they have good characters that are fully fleshed out from the script and their performances. They clearly understood the material and brought their A game. The rest of the cast get a lot less screentime so they have less time to make an impression. Without giving too much away, the two creepy kids work out pretty well and having them at a lower amount of screentime is to the best effect in the film.
The film’s cinematography by Hana Kitasei is great here, it keeps dark corners mysterious and lights up just the right amount of what is on screen while framing in a way that keeps the action central and keeps the things hidden that way until they are needed to be seen. The cinematography here elevates the film and makes it something that is fun to watch and wonder what is in those shadows.
The Unborn is a creepy abandoned building film that does the most of its dark corners, characters, images, and surprises. There is a lot in here, but it works and builds toward an ending that may be a bit predictable, but not in the worst of ways. It’s fun quick watch that should be easy to fit in a Halloween marathon or a horror film evening.