By RICHELLE CHARKOT
Starring Annabelle Ciancuillo, Phil Hunt and Charlie Kemball
Written and directed by Raymond Creamer
Shudder
Pregnancy is not a new topic of conversation within the horror genre: the drastically altered body, the chemical hormonal changes, the viscera, the alien quality of it all. In Raymond Creamer’s feature debut, GOODY GOODY, the audience may feel isolated, much as a mother might feel in the moments leading up to their child’s birth, wholly aware that they are about to embark on something painful and scary. A midwife finds herself in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with a determined mother who wants a natural delivery, as she considers a hospital birth to be inhuman. Despite the midwife’s reservations, she agrees to be present for the birth, afraid that if she isn’t, there may be no one present with the experience to safely see the child into the world. As the night unfolds and a blizzard traps them inside, complications arise that suggest something is amiss with the baby.
Clocking in at a brisk 80 minutes, GOODY GOODY is a tight chamber horror that uses what is basically one location to its full advantage. The film feels suffocatingly contained as the eeriness begins to mount, particularly underlined by the excellent work of Samantha Robinson as the expectant mother. Her physicality highlights the body horror of the situation as she contorts her body into unnatural and jarring positions, slowly building to near absurdity as the night wears on. GOODY GOODY is also very stylishly shot and feels as though it has a thread of 1970s pregnancy horror woven into its DNA.
Overall, GOODY GOODY is a fun debut and one best watched in a theatre. While clearly an independent feature working with a low budget, the film has a joy and respect for its subject matter pulsating through it. And that really makes it successful. It does a lot with a little, and fans of body horror and special effects will surely enjoy it.
