Goody Goody showcases a birth from hell
Demon babies are nothing new within the horror genre. In fact, there could be a whole subgenre dedicated to a woman birthing the spawn of Satan. Rosemary's Baby is probably the most famous example, but in the last few years, we had The First Omen, a prequel to The Omen, and Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney as a young nun whose baby is evil. Now comes writer/director Raymond Creamer's feature debut, Goody Goody, another demon baby movie that forges its own path through its effective single location and its filming style that looks like a one-take.
Goody Goody is a lean movie, clocking in at under 90 minutes, and Creamer wastes no time getting to the action. From the outset, Goody, played by Samantha Robinson, is ready to pop after a prolonged at-home birthing process, though the home is a remote cabin, where a blizzard rages outside. She's joined by her husband, Jayson (Hollman), his sister, Candace (Zoe Renee), and a midwife, Sarah (Colleen Foy). Though Sarah frequently insists that Goody have the baby at a hospital, where it's safe, the mother-to-be demands that the birth occur at home.
Yet, something seems wrong from the start, beyond Goody's unbearable pain. Her body continually contorts in strange and weird ways, and Robinson deserves major props for the physical performance she gives in this film. It couldn't have been easy. Meanwhile, her baby increasingly seems non-human, and horror fans know where this will all lead. And yet, despite it all, Goody and Jayson refuse to go to a hospital. There's a lot to be said about that point in the age of superficial medical advice offered by Google or AI, and the general distrust of experts that's become all too prevelant in our culture.
While some of the narrative beats and scares are quite familiar, it's the performances, filming style, and single location that elevate this movie. The cabin becomes increasingly isolating, and the fact this movie looks like it was shot in a single take adds to the intensity and sense of urgency, especially Goody's phyiscal and emotional anguish to see the birth through. In terms of the rest of the cast, Foy is notable in her portrayl as Sarah, a rational character who's a great counterpoint to Jayson and Goody's insistence on a home birth, no matter how dangerous it may be. Hollman and Renee are good too, but again, it's really Robinson who carries the film in terms of performances. This is not an easy role, but Robinson really pulls it off. Additionally, the film builds to a bloody climax that viewers will remember long after the credits conclude. It's shocking and vicious.
However, if the film has one major flaw, its the ending. It doesn't quite land and feels anti-climatic after such a memorable birthing scene. It's the biggest let-down of what's otherwise a strong feature debut. Overall, though, Goody Goody is a stylish and tense feature debut from Creamer that manages to make a demon baby concept interesting and engaging again, and his film has one hell of a performance from Robinson at its core.
Goody Goody will stream on Shudder beginning September 18.
Comments