‘Hatching’ Review: Hanna Bergholm’s promising body horror debut
Hatching, Hanna Bergholm’s debut feature, is a twisted vision of pre-teen anxiety, the trappings of bourgeois family life, and the tyrannical force of the internet.
At the centre of the Finnish body horror, which Bergholm describes as “a dark fable for grown-ups,” is Tinja, a shy 12-year-old aspiring gymnast, played by Siiri Solalinna, whose haunting performance carries the film, even through its weaker moments.
At the beginning of Hatching, we are introduced to Tinja’s family, the driving force behind the film’s most nightmarish moments. However, her meek father and brattish little brother aren’t nearly as important as Tinja’s mother, the internet vlogger who runs ‘Lovely Everyday Life’, preoccupied with crafting the perfect image of her family despite having an affair with the handyman.
Pastel shades dominate the set design within the family’s house, which is immediately contrasted with the sudden entry of a bird through the living room window. This is the catalyst for Tinja’s mother to break her wholesome act swiftly – and the bird’s neck.
Soon we see Tinja’s mother become increasingly oppressive over her young daughter, which manifests in the form of a large egg. This hatches, only to reveal a monstrous bird creature that Tinja nurtures in secret.
Hatching takes Steven Spielberg’s E.T. – sometimes a little too blatantly – and miraculously twists the idea of a loveable alien creature into something much darker. Whilst the creature often shows more humanity than Tinja’s mother, it frequently acts aggressively. Quickly, it becomes apparent that this creature is representative of Tinja’s deepest repressed desires and jealousies, and it soon becomes everything that her mother would abhor.
The metaphor for Tinja’s struggle to come of age under her mother’s coldness is often clunky and obvious. However, the magnificent CGI creature, supervised by Gustav Hoegen (who ran the practical creature-effects team for multiple Star Wars films), is a visceral and unsettling being to behold.
The creature soon morphs into an evil Mr. Hyde version of Tinja, following the predictable tradition of many horror films that utilise the concept of a doppelganger to explore the hidden side of the main character.
Plenty of shocking and arresting moments occur in Hatching. Its microcosmic feel, executed by tight and sometimes shaky cinematography and clinical sets, makes the film feel rather suffocating and uneasy to stomach.
Unfortunately, the film becomes repetitive in its exploration of good versus bad, mother versus daughter, which culminates in an underwhelming ending that could’ve been taken so much further.
Hatching is as much a story about “what’s expected of girls, how they are under so much pressure from society about how to behave,” as explained by Bergholm. Despite the film leaning a little too heavily into coming-of-age cliches, Hatching is still a captivating watch that is held together by its special effects and memorable performances.
Hatching is available to watch in UK cinemas from September 16th. Watch the trailer below.
