Antibirth is a 2016 American-Canadian independent body horror film written and directed by Danny Perez (Oddsac).
Main cast:
Natasha Lyonne (Yoga Hosers; #Horror; All About Evil), Chloë Sevigny (American Horror Story; #Horror; American Psycho), Meg Tilly (One Dark Night; Psycho II; Body Snatchers) Mark Webber (Jessabelle), Maxwell McCabe-Lokos (Land of the Dead) and Emmanuel Kabongo.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and was released on September 2, 2016.
Buy: Amazon.com
In a small Michigan town, hard-partying stoner Lou (Lyonne) awakens one morning and finds herself experiencing bizarre symptoms. Her friend, Sadie (Sevigny) believes she is pregnant and not telling her about it, despite Lou’s claims that she hasn’t had sex with anyone in nearly a year. A mysterious stranger, Lorna (Tilly), however, believes Lou.
As conspiracies and stories about bizarre kidnappings around town begin to spread, Lou’s visions and grip on reality become more distorted…
Reviews:
“Antibirth is a good old body horror movie. It’s got the suggestion of pregnancy, so you’re dealing with the undertones of a woman’s mixed feelings about her own capacity to give life, but if you don’t want to go there it’s really just gross as hell.” Bloody Disgusting
“ … slow-burning, trippy little film infused with dark humor and a great character. What it’s missing, however, is an engaging story that ties it all together; it’s an unfortunate misstep, especially because the film tries to explore familiar territory with a twisted grin.” The Missing Reel
“There are at least six different movies in Antibirth, and none of them work in tandem. Director, writer, and AnCo buddy Danny Perez tries too many things all at once without any of the finesse to make this either gel or implode in a brilliant mess. Instead, it’s just a mess, one that sputters in all sorts of oddball, incoherent directions that are mostly frustrating and dull.” Consequence of Sound
” … the main pleasure of watching Antibirth comes from questioning your own sanity as you watch it. How can a movie be so ugly yet so tantalizing? It’s very easy to be turned off by Perez’s feature debut, but if you can get on its wavelength, you’ll find yourself drawn in by one of the year’s most original horror films.” RogerEbert.com
“Perez’ style is like a less-serious David Lynch, which is a nice comparison for a first-timer. Not all of his scenes nail that eerie surrealism, but he’s got a knack for a well-placed prop and the right timing for a dopey gag to come in and pop the balloon of suspense.” The Guardian
“Even the most savvy of film nerds, with all their knowledge of narrative tropes couldn’t see just where Antibirth is going to take us. You can make guesses and you might even be close at times but the ending is just something else.” UK Horror Scene
Cast and characters:
- Natasha Lyonne as Lou
- Chloë Sevigny as Sadie
- Meg Tilly as Lorna
- Mark Webber as Gabriel
- Maxwell McCabe-Lokos as Warren
- Emmanuel Kabongo as Luke
- Neville Edwards as Isaac
- Morgan Bedard as Jake
- Corey Pascall as Jackson
- Lili Francks as Anha
- Marie-Josee Dionne as Trish
- Jessica Greco as Donna
