Nightborn – Movie Review | Shudder (4/5)

NIGHTBORN is a supernatural horror movie set in Finland, but it is mostly in English. I mean, it stars Rupert Grint, and he certainly doesn’t speak Finnish in this. Fair warning: This is not for the weak of heart. It gets pretty uncomfortable and very much in-your-face. Read our full Nightborn movie review here and find it on Shudder!

NIGHTBORN is a supernatural horror movie with a very wild story. I mean, as in feral, almost. As the story deals with a pregnant woman, a very visceral scene of the birth, and the horrors of being new parents to a child that won’t stop crying, this may be something you want to skip if you’re expecting.

The story plays out in Finland and deals with folklore. However, do not worry, it is in English – for the most part. In other words, please don’t miss out on this because you skip non-English productions (which you never should, anyway). The runtime is 92 minutes, which works wonderfully for the storyline.

Continue reading our Nightborn movie review below. Find it on Shudder from July 31, 2026.

Finnish folklore is no joke

If you’ve watched a few genre productions from Finland, you’ll know that their folklore and cautionary tales tend to hit pretty hard. Not unlike the folklore of Ireland. Or anything else from Scandinavia and the rest of the Nordic countries, where Norse mythology, giant creatures, or paganism is often involved.

With Nightborn, I won’t reveal the core folklore element other than to tell you it’s very much based on nature. When Mother Nature wants something, it’s often impossible to fight back.

It all begins like a fairytale as Saga (Seidi Haarla) and her British husband Jon (Rupert Grint) make the move to Finland in anticipation of welcoming their first child. Their new home is the very isolated house where Saga spent so much of her childhood.

It’s set deep in the Finnish forest, and has almost been taken over by nature when they arrive. Fortunately, Jon is good with his hands, and the house is ready for when the baby arrives. And then the nightmare begins.

A baby or something else?

As soon as their baby is born, Saga is unhappy. No matter how much reassurance and love everyone around her shows, she is convinced that there’s something terribly wrong with her son. Jon struggles to help Saga, and their marriage soon suffers as well.

If you’ve watched Baby Ruby, you’ll recognize the dynamic. Except here, something really is going on.

Both Rupert Grint and Seidi Haarla are absolutely mesmerizing in Nightborn. For Rupert Grint, his character is very much in our shoes, as the outsider. He is doing everything he can to ensure the safety of both his wife and new child. He wants only to support his wife, but she is making it damn near impossible.

Seidi Haarla is a true powerhouse as she becomes virtually feral as a mother who is convinced she knows best. Not least, once she recognizes what the child needs and who he really is. And no, this isn’t some demonic story requiring an exorcist. It’s folklore and nature, which (to me) hits much closer to home.

Watch Nightborn on Shudder

Hanna Bergholm is the director of Nightborn, which she also co-wrote with Ilja Rautsi. That means this new horror movie comes from exactly the same constellation that brought us Hatching (2022). While that movie was more ethereal and had a fairytale feel, this one gets much darker.

It’s difficult to do any direct comparisons as the story is very unique, but the fierceness of Saga reminded me of Toni Collette in Hereditary. As per tradition (my own, that is), it has to be said that she was robbed of an Oscar nomination for that one. So, in other words, Seidi Haarla delivers a transcendent performance.

Nightborn (org. title: Yön lapsi) premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 14, 2026. Oh yes, a very romantic world premiere date for this movie. Since then, it has been playing at film festivals worldwide, including Fantastic 2026, before this Shudder release. And yes, it very much belongs on Shudder!

NIGHTBORN is coming to Shudder on July 31, 2026.

Details

Director: Hanna Bergholm
Screenwriters: Ilja Rautsi & Hanna Bergholm
Cast: Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey, John Thomson, Silvia Saloranta