PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Postpartum depression is a scary thing. The influx of hormones into a woman’s body after a baby is born is uncontrollable and erratic. There’s no telling what mom will be affected – or even which pregnancy will set things off. In One Man Production’s Postpartum, we get to experience the confusion and frustration of a woman suffering through what is offhandedly called “baby blues.” Unfortunately for her, things spiraled out of control in a much more bloody way than the usual case.
Storyline from IMDb, written by Richard Bakewell:
Alice is a good mother and convinced that her that her children are possessed by one of the four beasts. She leaves them in the care of the nanny, and one day after returning from the store she finds her children dead. Pleading her innocence she is sent to a state facility for life for the killing of her children. After her first night in the facility she begins to see her dead children in her dreams and in reality. The staff discovers that Alice is pregnant and informs her that they will have to take the baby from her, but being a good mother means she will go to terrifying lengths to protect her unborn…
Based on a true story, Postpartum was written/directed/produced by reality TV cinematographer Richard Bakewell (Officer Down 2013) and co-directed by Lale Arpaci (Ridiculousness TV series). This female-driven film stars Scream Queen Danielle Harris (Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2007), Jenny Curtis (Modern Family TV series), Katie Beresford (Deadly Sins 2016), Nicole Sterling (Evil Nanny 2016), Courtney Sara Bell (Sharp 2007) and Tala Delvarani (The Miller Prediction 2016).
What Worked
Let me start off by saying that Jenny Curtis acted the hell out of the role of Alice. She expressed more in a clench of a fist or a twitch of the head than I’ve seen in a very, very long time in such a new actress. Her emotions were raw, bleeding and torn from her sleeve in a hormone-fueled frenzy of rage and frustration. Although Danielle Harris’ part was small, she played the Nurse Ratchet-like character with dominance and attitude. I personally found it strange to see her in such a role so soon after her own son was born, but I digress.
I also loved the characters’ names. Everyone was named after an iconic horror movie character, from Alice to Carrie to Wendy to Michael to Nancy to Carol Anne to Rosemary to Chucky. Even Danielle’s character was named Nurse Regan. For such a pitch black film of serious subject matter, it was fun pick out and recognize the names.
What Didn’t Work
The storyline of Postpartum is very confusing and hard to follow. While I understand that seeing things through the eyes of someone going through the illogical rage and indignation of postpartum depression is the point of the short, I was confused as to what Bakewell was trying to convey. There was no moment of clarity when everything Alice was going through suddenly made sense. I was left feeling scattered and unfulfilled. Also, although I thought the acting was phenomenal, the actual dialogue was a bit stilted and forced at times, but this was of no fault to the actresses. There were quite a few questions left unanswered. Did Alice have one or two children? Who actually killed them? Was there a nanny? If she was still pregnant, why is this movie called Postpartum?
Final Thoughts
I loved the acting and the subject matter behind Postpartum. Many people – including celebrities – have suffered through this debilitating and irrational syndrome with no rhyme or reason as to who will be affected after giving birth. Although I personally thought the film was a bit too non-linear for me, the acting – especially Jenny Curtis’ – made the film that much more enjoyable to watch. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be lost inside your own mind, then be sure to give Postpartum a watch.
