Hatching

Hatching (2023)
Directed by: Hanna Bergholm
Written by: Ilja Rautsi
Starring: Jani Volanen, Reino Nordin, Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä

Careful at what hatches….

Hanna Bergholm’s neat debut feature shows that even a simple story can bring the much needed terror in a tale that has won much critical acclaim not just in its own home country -FINLAND- but thankfully due to a strong word of mouth, means its now finding praise among the wide horror community and rightly so!

HATCHING is not perfect by any means, but when it works, its becomes a fascinating dark fairy-tale carried by a stunning performance from Tinja (Siiri Solalinna) a young girl, finding her feet in life and having to match up to the demands set out by her overbearing Mother (Sophia Heikkilä) who strives for perfection, perfectly summed up in her video blogs to her audience titled “Lovely Everyday Life,” and the need for her young daughter to be the best at ballet, a constant demand that put becomes too much pressure on Tinja as her useless father (Jani Volanen) watches from afar, a guy who is probably more than aware that his wife is having a full blown affair but happily to sit in the corner with his guitar, wanting away from all the drama.

When Tinja witnesses her Mother killing a bird and experiencing at first hand of her adultery, the “perfect family life” is shattered and when she discovers a strange egg in the woods and decides to take it home and care for what is inside, her life and those around it will soon change forever. But why does this egg glow when blood trickles over its shell? Why does it start growing at an extraordinary rate? and what actually comes out of that shell when it finally hatches?

The “thing” that emerges is a wonderful creative design in what becomes a metaphor for Tinja feelings and while its too “in your face” about the whole “coming of age” drama, there is a dark black heart running through the entire plot that is a joy to watch, even though the horror itself doesn’t go quite as deep into the genre as perhaps many would have liked.

A cross breed from anything to Jekyll and Hyde, E.T, to Ginger Snaps, HATCHING works best when the uncomfortable comes from a daughter longing for acceptance from her mom, its a compelling watch for most of its running time, but once you reach the climax, there be a few who’d wish that it would have that emotional punch that it clearly tries desperate to achieve….

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