PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I began watching Hatching knowing every little about this film and I’m glad I did because it ended up being a unique and disturbing adventure. This film was directed by Hanna Bergholm (read our interview – HERE) and written by Ilja Rautsi. It stars Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen, Oiva Ollila, and Reino Nordin.
Synopsis for Hatching
12-year-old gymnast, Tinja (Siiri Solalinna), is desperate to please her image-obsessed mother, whose popular blog ‘Lovely Everyday Life’ presents their family’s idyllic existence as manicured suburban perfection. One day, after finding a wounded bird in the woods, Tinja brings its strange egg home, nestles it in her bed, and nurtures it until it hatches. The creature that emerges becomes her closest friend and a living nightmare, plunging Tinja beneath the impeccable veneer into a twisted reality that her mother refuses to see.
There’s so much to be said about Hatching that I’m not sure where to start. It’s a mix of a coming of age film mixed with body horror mixed with a creature feature. E.T. meets Ginger Snaps meets American Beauty. On the outside, it looks this family has it all: picture perfect mother, adoring and obedient husband, talented daughter, and rowdy son, but on the inside nothing as it seems. Everyone is so caught up with appearances that they have no clue what nightmare is growing inside their own home and all Tinja wants is to be loved.
All of the performances were amazing. Even before things get crazy, they all delivered that creepy, stoic, “Stepford Wives” vibe, and none of it felt real. Like it was all an illusion or dream. Siiri Solalinna delivered a brilliant performance with the lead role of Tinja. She tried so hard to please everyone around her and when she finally discovers something special for herself, something that will do anything for her… it’s not easy to give it up despite the deadly consequences.
Jarkko T. Laine’s cinematography was incredible throughout the film. It was beautiful and horrifying all at the the same time. A suburban nightmare. The creature special effects by Gustav Hoegen (Star Wars, Jurassic World) were out of this world amazing. Creepy and pure nightmare fuel. Hatching opens today, April 29, in select theatres from IFC Midnight and I honestly can’t recommend it enough. It’s one of the best horror films I’ve seen in awhile and it delivered just the right amount of strange, creepy, and what the fuck is going on.
