Nightborn [Movie Review]

Nightborn [Movie Review] | I first learnt about this movie while I was abroad. At first, I thought the baby had been born as a vampire and honestly, that immediately intrigued me.

What exactly is this baby?

SYNOPSIS

Nightborn (2026) Trivia

• In Finnish: Yön lapsi
• Starring: Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey & John Thomson
• Director: Hanna Bergholm
• Producer: Daniel Kuitunen & Noëmie Devide
• Production Companies: Elokuvayhtiö Komeetta, BlueLight, British Film Institute, Eurimages, Getawat Films, Global Screen Fund, Yleisradio & Filmai
• Distributed by: Shudder, Alamode Film, Bac Films, BfParis, Noroshi, Zima & Big Tree Entertainment
• Release date: February 14, 2026
• Running time: 92 minutes
• Rating: MA
• Country: United Kingdom, Finland, Lithuania & France
• Language: English & Finnish
• IMDb: 5.7/ 10
• Tomatometer: 75%
• Metascore: 60%
• Rupert Grint was about to become a father when he took on the role of Jon, making the film’s exploration of parenthood feel unexpectedly personal for him. He even admitted that becoming a parent can be a scary experience.
• The film draws from Finnish folklore, with the forest itself almost becoming a character in the story. 
• One of the most interesting things about Nightborn is that director Hanna Bergholm deliberately avoids the usual sanitised portrayal of childbirth, using its raw physical reality to explore the darker, uncomfortable emotions that can come with parenthood.

Saga and her British husband Jon leave their familiar life behind and move into an isolated house deep in the Finnish countryside. The property has a personal history for Saga, as it was once her grandmother’s home and where she spent part of her childhood. Nature has almost completely reclaimed the place, with trees and roots slowly finding their way into the old house.

But Jon sees potential. He plans to restore the house and turn it into a warm family home where they can raise their first child.

Then their baby arrives.

From the very beginning, Saga feels that something is not quite right. Her newborn son is unusually quiet, reacts strangely to sunlight and develops a disturbing appearance that leaves even the family uncomfortable. While everyone around her tries to convince Saga that she is simply struggling with motherhood, her instincts tell her otherwise.

And then there is the tree.

A tree begins growing through the floor of the bedroom, just as it did when Saga was a child. The strange connection between the house, the forest and her baby becomes harder to ignore as Kuura, the child Saga names despite Jon’s objections, begins displaying increasingly unsettling behaviour.

Soon, Saga finds herself doing things she never imagined a mother would have to do. Her relationship with Jon starts falling apart as he becomes convinced that Saga is failing to care for their son properly, while Saga becomes increasingly convinced that Kuura is something far beyond an ordinary child.

The deeper they go into the mystery, the more the old stories surrounding Saga’s grandmother begin to make sense. The forest may not simply be surrounding their home. It may be part of the family’s story.

And just when you think you understand what Kuura really is, the forest seems ready to reveal another secret.

But is Saga protecting her son from the darkness or protecting the darkness itself?

MY REVIEW

What I Like:  

• The performance from both the parents - truly beautiful performance. 
• The movie keeps me wondering whether it was all in Saga's head? Was she having some postpartum depression?

What I Don't Like:

• The baby's face was not shown since the beginning until the end of the movie. Showing the baby's angelic face would have heighten our guesses that it was all in Saga's head. 

Will I Watch It Again: Yes, I don't mind watching it again. 

Overall: 4.5/ 5.0

The pictures are taken from multiple sources on the Internet. Thank you.

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