NIGHTBORN
Starring: Rupert Grint, Seidi Haarla, Pamela Tola, John Thomson, Pirkko Saisio, and Rebecca Lacey
Director: Hanna Bergholm
NICK
Although I respect the way director Hanna Bergholm uses the horror lens to convey the difficulties of the postpartum experience, there's something about Nightborn that feels too familiar. Carried by Seidi Haarla's great performance, she does her part to elevate an occasionally stagnant story, and Bergholm keeps you guessing as to whether there’s truly something supernatural or if everything is in Saga's (Haarla) head as she seemingly descends into madness. But the reveal takes too long, which leads to a rushed ending that doesn’t land with the impact it desires. It's probably for the best this one is heading straight to streaming.
PAIGE
Nightborn is one of those films that's compelling on the surface but becomes less engaging as it goes on. Director Hanna Bergholm certainly has a unique voice, but the story is too generic to be as original as it wants to be. It doesn't help that the plot is pretty clumsy at times and becomes a little too repetitive. Don't get me wrong, this folk horror film has its moments, especially when it comes to dealing with the stress and anxiety of being a new parent, but overall, it never comes together as effectively as it needed to.
KATIE
Nightborn is a compelling folk horror focused on motherhood and the societal treatment of mothers, and whilst unsubtle in its themes and their delivery, it is grounded by Seidi Haarla’s incredible performance and the visceral imagery. The script is a touch bland and the husband character Jon, played by Rupert Grint, is slightly too one-dimensional to the point of caricature; however, the wince-inducing body horror and affecting sound design effectively convey the endlessly demanding, all-consuming, and often painful experience of being a new mother, and Haarla’s forceful emotional intensity is gripping.
This film was originally reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival.