HATCHING *** Finland / Sweden 2022 Dir: Hanna Bergholm. 91 mins
Having heard that a lot of people had walked out of screen unseen showings, I was a little worried about seeing this. Then it appeared on the listings for Dark Dukes at The Dukes Lancaster and I couldn’t resist the screening to see for myself.
I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the concept. Of course, if you’re not a fan of subtitled foreign language film, this won’t be for you.
The film was well acted and Siiri Solalinna was absolutely brilliant, especially for such a young actress playing quite a complex role. She added a whole new meaning to creepy.
The make-up was effective and made the horrifying creature all the more realistic.
The film was an ideal length, keeping my attention for all 91 minutes. Writer / Director Hanna Bergholm and writer Ilja Rautsi has done a superb job at bringing the story of a young girl who finds a mysterious egg. She takes it home and keeps it warm as it grows. What hatches is a bizarre ever-changing creature is truly horrific.
Review by Poppy Blundell