Finland | UK | Lithuania | France, 2026
Opening August 6, 2026

Directed by: Hanna Bergholm
Writing credits: Hanna Bergholm, Ilja Rautsi
Principal actors: Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey

Deep in a Finnish forest, Saga (Seidi Haarla) brings her husband Jon (Rupert Grint) to her grandmother’s home. Despite her fond memories, the forest has already begun to reclaim the home, but this is no deterrent to her as they decide to fix up the house for their growing family. The forest looms. Her grandmother left iron strewn about the edges of the yard. Jon repairs the fixer-upper while Saga gets pregnant and later gives birth. What should be joyous, soon becomes tortuous as Saga becomes increasingly convinced that she is changing and that the baby is more than it seems.

Like most postpartum horror films (which seem to be having a bit of a moment lately), where Nightborn shines is in its ambiguity. For much of the film audiences must decide whether the something supernatural are Saga and her son, or if perhaps she is suffering from postpartum psychosis. Saga is an odd character, acting seemingly deliberately obtuse in the beginning and then shocked and horrified at the results she seems to have brought upon herself. The Finnish forest is lush and eerie, and the set design and cinematography do much of the heavy lifting in creating an uncanny feeling from otherwise normal situations. Seidi Haarla’s performance is uneven, often jarringly over-the-top, while Rupert Grint provides a grounded performance that the film deeply relies upon throughout. The third act is weak but will certainly be satisfying to those who want clear resolutions; it would have been stronger with a subtler conclusion and different directorial choices. Nevertheless, Nightborn is an entertaining and an atmospheric horror film with enough interesting elements to make it a decent watch. (Rose F.)