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Fantasia 2016: ‘Antibirth’ Review

Antibirth Review

Antibirth Review

Natasha Lyonne and Chloë Sevigny star in Antibirth, a tale of traumatic pregnancy. Best friends Lou (Lyonne) and Sadie (Sevigny) are all about the party life, keeping themselves alive with a mixture of stale beer and drugs. After one particularly heavy night Lou realises that she’s pregnant, with no idea who the father is. However, as her pregnancy wears it becomes clear that this is no ordinary baby.

The dynamic of Lou and Sadie’s relationship is basically a waster version of Romy and Michelle. They’re not particularly sharp and, through events out of their control, they are planted firmly at the bottom of the social ladder. As the pregnancy develops the duo’s bond comes under pressure and the introduction of a third female, Lorna, threatens to break them apart.

Antibirth Review

Antibirth Review

The film is lead fantastically by Natasha Lyonne. Lyonne’s characters have never been shrinking violets, but Lou is on another planet. She’s foul-mouthed, brash and unkempt, but still manages to get the audience on side. Maybe’s it’s the delicate situation she finds herself in that endears her.

Without wishing to give anything away the film is made by the events of the last ten minutes; all the stories and characters collide with unexpected results. Director Danny Perez is bold and unafraid to delve into untold territory. He’s also no shy of the odd bit of gore. Be warned, there are gross make-up effects by the bucket-load, you’ll need a cast-iron stomach for several blisteringly gruesome scenes.

Antibirth is dirty and subversive with an abundance of bodily fluids. Rosemary’s Baby for the waster generation.

Antibirth screens as part of 2016’s Fantasia International Film Festival programme.

Find all our of Fantasia 2016 coverage here

Kat Hughes is a UK born film critic and interviewer who has a passion for horror films. An editor for THN, Kat is also a Rotten Tomatoes Approved Critic. She has bylines with Ghouls Magazine, Arrow Video, Film Stories, Certified Forgotten and FILMHOUNDS and has had essays published in home entertainment releases by Vinegar Syndrome and Second Sight. When not writing about horror, Kat hosts micro podcast Movies with Mummy along with her five-year-old daughter.

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