Credits

Land

Austria, Switzerland, Germany

Taal

German

Ondertitels

English

Speeltijd

107

Regie

Johanna Moder

Cast

Marie Leuenberger, Hans Löw, Claes Bang, Julia Franz Richter

Storyline

Julia must discover what Dr. Vilfort is hiding before her own pregnancy treatment goes haywire.

When conductor Julia and her husband Georg sign up for Dr. Vilfort’s experimental but successful fertility treatment, it doesn’t take long for Julia to become pregnant. But something sinister is in the air, and Julia’s growing sense of unease leads her to investigate the truth behind Vilfort’s secretive clinic.

Riffing on classic themes of maternity, motherhood and postpartum stress through a genre lens, director Johanna Moder’s assured and atmospheric third feature dials up the tension to 11. Mother’s Baby is extremely stylish and even more paranoid, delivering on all fronts; Rosemary’s Baby is an apt comparison. Marie Leuenberger gives a delicate performance, balancing Julia’s intense individuality with newfound vulnerability. Meanwhile, the film’s unsettling atmosphere and simmering build-up bring home the promise of its unnerving opening.