Hatching (2022) spoiler free review
Bringing something from the woods is not always the best idea. Directed by Hanna Bergholm this Finnish body horror film has finally arrived to streaming services. It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Festival in January and in theaters on April 29, 2022. Casting for the film began in 2018 becoming a challenge finding the right actress for the lead role, this one being a demanding dual role. The part was given to Siiri Solalinna who played both Tinja and Alli.
Tinja is a 12-year-old gymnast who’s desperate to please her image-obsessed mother. After finding a wounded bird in the woods, she brings its strange egg home, nestles it in her bed and nurtures it until it hatches. The creature that emerges soon becomes her closest friend and a living nightmare, plunging Tinja into a twisted reality that her mom refuses to see.
Official plot
The creature was portrayed by an animatronic puppet, created by Gustav Hoegen, who previously worked on Star Wars, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and 2010’s Clash of the Titans. Once the monster starts to evolve is portrayed by Solalinna who played Tinja. The special effects make-up was designed by artist Conor O’Sullivan, known for his work on Game of Thrones and Aliens.
My opinion
Hatching is a visually stunning body horror film. It reminded me of Midsommar (2019) having the same bright setting relying in the acting and special effects to bring out the horror. Solalinna played both Tinja and the monster named Alli once is transformed giving the best performance of the film. She’s able to differentiate one from the other with the facial expressions and body language. By the end of the film she has fully emerged herself in the character.
The film doesn’t rely on the horror cliches, such as dark places, jump-scares, and a lot of death scenes. Instead, the film happens in daylight with little deaths being only one. The plot brings an inside of Tinja’s family who is a dysfunctional one but to the eyes of everyone else they’re the perfect suburban family. Her mother works as a lifestyle blogger filming every second of their lives projecting them as perfect and happy. But, of course is way too far from that. She overpressure her daughter into being perfect, breaking little by little their relationship.
This slow burn film is a must watch for horror fans. It’s different but it works bringing something new to the game. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.