Despite the objections of her husband, Madeline wants to have a natural childbirth but after a horrible car accident kills both her husband & the baby, it’s anything but natural. Madeline decides to carry the baby to term, and miraculously the stillborn baby starts breastfeeding… blood!
It’s (not) Alive!
Unlike the infamous killer baby from the It’s Alive movies, Grace
Madeline is a vegan so she’s reluctant to harm even the swarm of flies that hover over her undead baby. This combination of pacifist mom and defenseless baby doesn’t exactly make for a good horror flick.
There’s at least two stories too many.
After the delivery Madeline’s midwife tries to “play doctor” with Madeline, who she used to date in college. Madeline rejects her but not because of any grief over her recently deceased husband rather out of a fear of becoming a “case study.” Moreover the loveless love scene in which Grace is conceived seems to imply that Madeline’s marriage was one of convenience with no other purpose than getting her pregnant. But since this is never explored it’s superfluous to the story.
Meanwhile Madeline’s mother-in-law Vivian is desperate to take the baby away away from her, which is eerily foreshadowed in what might be the most awkward family dinner ever. Vivian explains how “you can nurse past menopause as long the nipples get enough attention it reactivates the hormones.” Later she even convinces her own doctor to help her in exchange for some breast milk – hers and her daughter’s!
Although feminists/pregnant women may find this movie rich with symbolism about the isolation of new moms or the objectification of breasts, it’s nap time for horror fans. It’s not until literally the last minute that the story finally gets some teeth to it.
