CNS Movie Review: The Unborn

The Unborn

By John Mulderig
Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Do you think it's possible to be haunted by someone who was never even born?" asks Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman), the harried heroine of writer-director David S. Goyer's often predictable thriller, "The Unborn" (Rogue). The overly complicated answer provided by this relatively restrained but mediocre chill fest involves hidden family history, genetics, the Nazis and the occult doctrines of the kabbalah.

Suburban Chicago college student Casey is troubled by nightmares, the bizarre behavior of Matty (Atticus Shaffer), a young boy she baby-sits, and a series of apparent hallucinations. She connects these recent woes with her mother's long-ago mental breakdown and suicide.

Her boyfriend, Mark (Cam Gigandet) -- who early on takes advantage of her father's absence to sleep over -- is sympathetic but convinced that there must be a rational explanation, while her perky best pal, Romy (Meagan Good), is more open to supernatural notions.

Old newspaper clippings of her mother's lead Casey to Holocaust survivor and kabbalah devotee Sofi (a suitably ethereal Jane Alexander). Sofi offers both some relevant background information and a good deal of mystical gobbledygook about forsaken souls who return to earth as evil dybbuks, desperate to take possession of any body they can. But she admits to being out of her depth, and recommends that Casey consult scholarly Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman).

Since Sofi has warned her that the demon will attack everyone she loves, Casey pleads with the skeptical rabbi for a kabbalah-style exorcism.

For all its dabbling in occult myths, "The Unborn" ultimately highlights the power of Scripture-based faith. But, despite the comparative absence of gore, the convoluted script -- which even veterans like Oldman and Alexander fail to salvage -- takes the trend of evil youngsters in the horror genre a step beyond, presenting pre-born children as a source of fear.

The film contains a premarital situation, a few crude words and sexual references, a suicide theme and brief skimpy costuming. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.

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Copyright (c) 2009 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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