Childbirth being as traumatic as it is for everyone involved, it is not uncommon for one of a pair of twins to die in the process. Some very influential artists, including Elvis Presley and Philip K. Dick, are said to have been profoundly emotionally affected by the twin siblings they lost at birth. It is not uncommon for surviving twins to be haunted by feelings of loss and displacement. This being said, surviving twins being haunted by events involving out of body experiences, creepy, pale-faced ghost kids, contorted bodies in hospital gowns and exorcisms in squalid rooms are virtually unheard of. Thanks to the writer behind the acclaimed mediocrity of the last two Batman films, those wishing to see a woman be haunted by her unborn twin can do so from the safety of the local multiplex as David S. Goyer and Rogue Films present The Unborn.
In her first major role since Cloverfield, Odette Yustman stars as Casey Beldon — a woman haunted by the unborn twin she never knew she had. With disturbing dreams and visions plaguing her waking life, Beldon must turn to a spiritual advisor named Sendak (Gary Oldman) to help rid her of a supernatural evil originating in an ancient family curse that dates back to Nazi Germany.
While there doesn’t appear to be much separating this from a traditional horror film, the unified vision of writer/director David S. Goyer should make for an enjoyable entry into the genre. Yustman is fresh enough to the screen that audiences should be able to embrace her as an attractive everyday heroine in a way that would otherwise be hampered by a bigger name in the role. Oldman has a proven track record for being remarkably good in any role given to him, which should add considerable dramatic weight to the film. Aside from impressive special effects and a reasonably visual sense of horror, the production also offers a setting filmed almost entirely in Chicago and the surrounding area. With New York, LA and select locations in Canada so dominating the multiplex, it’s always refreshing to see the Midwest show up in a major motion picture. Judging from early peeks at The Unborn, David S. Goyer seems to have captured a particularly moody side of the Third Coast. (Russ Bickerstaff/BOP)
|
|
|
|
