birth/rebirth
IFC Films | Release Date: August 18, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
ColliderChase HutchinsonAug 17, 2023
Even as the film pulls out all the stops, the character work remains subtle in a way that gets under your skin. The magnificent performances of Reyes and Ireland align perfectly, peeling back the humanity their two characters had only tenuously been clinging to. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonNov 10, 2023
It is the understated, matter-of-fact tone of the story that sucks us in, and the two central performances that help make this effort by Ms. Moss such a singular addition to the monster catalog. Read full review
90
Film ThreatAlex SavelievAug 21, 2023
Streaks of sadism emphasize the prevailing humanity, as do the borderline-psychedelic brushstrokes: the intentionally murky nightmarish visuals, Ariel Marx’s nervous score, the bleak set design, the impassivity with which cinematographer Chananun Chotrunngroj’s camera observes the two women’s descent into madness. Read full review
90
VarietyJessica KiangAug 18, 2023
Laura Moss’ superbly performed, enjoyably queasy Birth/Rebirth proves just how well the classic tale of scientific hubris and the desire to conquer death maps onto a gory maternity morality play, reanimating the truism that there’s little more (un)deadly than a mother’s love. Read full review
90
Rolling StoneK. Austin CollinsAug 18, 2023
What gives birth/rebirth its dark, subtle, painful sense of humor, as well as its horror and its thoughtful gravity, is the sense that even the most profound problems of life and death can be approached like problems of science — that the act of trying to give someone you love more life can result in basic trial and error and scientific problem-solving. Read full review
90
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisAug 17, 2023
Wrapped in drab locations and jaundiced lighting (Chananun Chotrungroj’s photography is brilliantly bleak), this grisly gynecological horror movie is not for the squeamish. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshAug 18, 2023
In teasing out the complex relationship between life and death in relationship to birth and “Frankenstein,” Moss presents a provocative existential quandary and reminds us that horror stories have been women’s stories all along. Read full review
87
The Daily BeastNick SchagerAug 16, 2023
Habitually shooting her characters through narrow doorways and windows, the better to convey their isolation as well as their squeezed-by-circumstance states, the director fashions a sinister atmosphere, aided by intermittent pregnancy and corpse imagery. Read full review
80
Paste MagazineJacob OllerAug 18, 2023
Moss’ creation is more than a sentient pile of parts with a fresh coat of mortuary makeup: It’s a savvy, gross, black-hearted gem with a humanity all its own. Read full review
75
The PlaylistAndrew CrumpAug 18, 2023
Normally, ego married with naivety is a bummer. In “birth/rebirth,” it’s gut-chilling. Read full review
75
The Film StageEthan VestbyAug 18, 2023
As someone feeling rather down on the modern horror film, I was strangely delighted to find one that could get under my skin. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyAug 18, 2023
Birth/rebirth has some "body horror" tropes and some straight horror tropes, but it's not really a monster story. It's more of a medical thriller, helmed by two twisted conspirators, both operating from a place of desperation and trauma. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChuck BowenJan 25, 2023
Birth/Rebirth serves as a perverse correction, recalibrating decades of dilution to reemphasize the moral weight and emotional anguish at the heart of Shelley’s novel. Read full review
70
SlashfilmChris EvangelistaAug 18, 2023
There's plenty of slow creeping dread on display here, matched with that dark humor and two fantastic leads. It all comes together to make "Birth/Rebirth" one of 2023's more interesting horror entries. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerAug 18, 2023
Moss tackles the idea from a more intimate and feminist perspective, questioning how far mothers are willing to go for their children, or simply to become mothers at all. If what happens in her movie seems altogether extreme, maybe it’s because the world we live in tends to push such women to extreme places. Read full review
50
Screen RantPatrice WitherspoonAug 18, 2023
Birth/Rebirth contains wonderful performances from Ireland and Reyes. But Moss’s directorial debut needs quite a bit more than stunning performances to leave a lasting impression. Read full review
42
IndieWireDavid EhrlichAug 18, 2023
A horror movie — even one as grounded and genre-adjacent as this — can’t hope to survive if it doesn’t even feel believable on its own fantastical terms. Read full review
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