"Unsettling and outrageous… darkly funny and unabashedly gory… Part of what makes NIGHTBORN both stomach-churning and thought-provoking is how all the crazy stuff happening is just a slightly – okay, substantially – exaggerated version of the reality so many first-time parents face." Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter

"Two of last year's most notable films, "Die My Love" and "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You", explore the dark side of motherhood. Think of NIGHTBORN as their naughtier cousin as it relates the tale of a woman who struggles to bring up a literal monster baby." Zach Lewis, Slant Magazine

Mit dem Traum von einer perfekten Familie ziehen Saga (Seidi Haarla) und ihr britischer Ehemann Jon (Rupert Grint) in ein abgelegenes Haus tief im finnischen Wald – ein Ort, an dem Saga den Großteil ihrer Kindheit verbracht hat. Doch kaum ist ihr Baby geboren, weiß Saga, trotz aller Beteuerungen ihres Umfelds, dass mit ihrem Sohn etwas ganz und gar nicht stimmt. Während ihre Ehe zunehmend zu zerbrechen droht, versucht Jon verzweifelt, seine Frau zu unterstützen. Doch nur Saga erkennt die monströse Wahrheit hinter ihrem Neugeborenen.
Nach dem Erfolg ihres Debüts "Hatching" legt die finnische Regisseurin Hanna Bergholm einen neuen, fesselnden Horrorfilm vor und erzählt in NIGHTBORN eine beklemmende, atmosphärisch dichte Horrorparabel über Mutterschaft.

"The rough and sticky edges of new parenthood have never been hairier – or bloodier – than in NIGHTBORN, the sophomore feature from gifted Finnish filmmaker Hanna Bergholm ("Hatching"). Shrieking at the crossroads of grisly folk-horror fable, blacker-than-space satire, and aesthetically breathtaking arthouse creation, it's a blistering genre vision ... For its stark provocation, its gore-soaked moments of shock, and the disturbing questions that it contemplates, wrapped in a sumptuously cinematic, haunted atmosphere. All built on a foundation-shaking lead performance from Haarla that's an experience unto itself, soulful, extreme, and all-consuming in sheer, contorted physicality against ascendingly surreal and gruesome circumstances." Mitch Davis, Fantasia Film Festival 2026

"Have you ever wondered what would happen if a traditional English man from a Christian family married someone other than a traditional English woman from a Christian family? For instance, what if he married Saga, for whom he would then move from London deep into the woods of Finland, where they then have a child? If this is the kind of story you've been waiting for, then wait no further… Director and screenwriter Hanna Bergholm's NIGHTBORN explores motherhood and the life of new parents from a fresh and occasionally bloodthirsty perspective. Because sometimes, instead of baby food, you need a vial of O-positive as you draw the shades, so not a single ray of sunshine falls on your little bundle of joy. Which family members will live to hear baby's first word? And will that word be 'flesh'?" Petra Vočadlová, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2026