190. Reborn; movie review

REBORN
Cert 15
74 mins
BBFC advice: Contains disturbing images, strong gore, sexual threat, nudity, violence

Julian Richards' Reborn has won awards at TEN film festivals and yet only has a rating of 4.1/10 on Internet Movie Database.
Never has there been a clearer case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder.
There are film critics who have been gushing with praise. Indeed, I have read reviews which have linked it to the master of horror, Stephen King, and even chucked in one of the genre's most revered figures, Mary Shelley.
Apparently, one man's feast is another man's garbage and I lean towards the latter to describe both the plot and execution.
In short, I thought Reborn was preposterous.
Its premise was crazy enough - a still-born child is brought back to life by an electric pulse and stolen by a psychotic lab technician (Chaz Bono). Sixteen years later, just at the point her mother (Barbara Crampton) goes looking for her grave, she breaks free.
Oh, did I mention that the now-teenager, Tess (Kayleigh Gilbert) can channel electricity and she uses this to kill anyone who upsets her?
Yep, she's a right charmer and no mistaking it.
So, here we have the actress mother who hasn't starred in a mainstream production in years and the psychotic daughter with a murderous superpower.
I suppose given those circumstances, nobody cares about the stilted dialogue and the melodramatic performances.
Or the very basic special effects.
I was wondering whether Reborn was intended to be a throwback to 1970s B-movies. If so, it achieves its rather unambitious aim.
If not, it makes it embarrassing not only to its makers but to those who have given it plaudits.

Reasons to watch: If you a fan of B-movie horror
Reasons to avoid: Badly acted and not scary

Laughs: None
Jumps: One
Vomit: None
Nudity: BBFC advice says there is but I must have blinked
Overall rating: 2/10

Did you know? There are cases of babies being pronounced still-born coming back to life. For example, Yasmin da Silva Gomes of Londrina, Brazil was pronounced dead and a death certificate was printed. Three hours after being pronounced dead, her grandmother and the mortician went to the chapel to pick up her body for the funeral and that is when Yasmin opened her eyes and appeared to be healthy.

The final word. Julian Richards: "It was the mother, daughter reunion aspect of the story that attracted me to Reborn. The script had a strong, dramatic, emotional through-line which reminded me of Frankenstein."

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