First Born (2007) User Reviews

Postpartum Psychosis or Madness?

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 13 December 2007]

When the dancer Laura (Elizabeth Shue) feels sick after a presentation, she finds that she is pregnant. Her husband and successful executive Steven (Steven Mackintosh) decides to buy a huge house in the suburb to raise their baby daughter Jessica in an adequate environment. Laura changes her lifestyle, feels nervous alone with the rats in the house and accidentally kills their dog with poison. Later Steven hires Mrs. Kasperian (Kathleen Chalfant) to help Laura in the housework and with the baby, but Laura believes the old woman wishes to harm Jessica using witchcraft. Laura has a breakdown, and when she recovers, her mother moves to her house to help her with the baby. During the night, Laura decides to get rid off a doll she found in the house changing their lives forever.

"First Born" is a weird and disturbing movie, and talking to some friends of mine I noted that this is the type of film extremely unpleasant for women. The beautiful Elizabeth Shue is thinner and has a good performance, but her character is not well developed, therefore it is not possible to know whether she is a mother with postpartum psychosis or simply a mad woman. I liked this film, but I do not dare to recommend it especially for potential mothers. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Filha das Sombras" ("Daughter of the Darkness")

Gripping right until the end, Then, truly disappointing!

[Rick76uk · 4/10 · 2 January 2007]

This must be one of Shue's worst yet, While watching the film I was intrigued by the sheer mystery of the film.

I had no idea or could have guessed what the outcome would be...

And then a truly awful ending which ruined what originally had me gripped.

I only voted four because of my original impression of the film(before Isaw the end) Avoid at all costs!!!!!

Story outline - A dancer (shue) finds she is pregnant, her husband , an up and coming businessman moves them out to a big house to raise their child away from the city, While battling her own depression the lonely house starts to eat away at her , causing a large amount of paranoia, or is it?

a great movie about nothing

[jojomujux · 4/10 · 20 March 2007]

This one was a great movie about nothing, and I mean really nothing. From the beginning till' the end, everything happens has nothing to do with reality(or fiction) and common sense, not even touching common sense. However, I might add that from the "directoral" point of view it is a great achievement to create that much suspense without practically having a story. In the end, I do not regret watching it(we all need to see all kinds of movies to create a real and correct hierarchy in our minds) but I would not recommend it to any of my friends... I hope I didn't offend anyone who reads this, and I apologize for my English. Thank you.

Solid.

[Cooper75 · 7 April 2007]

Laura, a New York City based dancer (Shue) falls pregnant and relocates with her husband to an isolated house in the country. After the child is born, a series of mysterious events conspire to test her abilities as a new mother.

I first heard about this movie around 12 months ago when I happened across an article on the Fox news website. The author had caught a screening of First Born by chance and had raved over the movie, comparing it to 'The Others' and tipping the director Isaac Webb as a name to watch. So here we are 12 months down the line and First Born arrives direct to DVD, which usually is not a good sign. Remembering the article and the positive comments I decided to take a look for myself.

First Born was very good indeed, and after the movie ended I was left stunned for several reasons. Stunned at Shue's amazing performance. Stunned at the sheer horror of the ending. And stunned that First Look dumped this out with the WORST (and most misleading) cover art in the history of the medium. I mean, come on, upside down crosses?!! What Isaac Webb has created (and I'm heading into major spoiler territory here) is a very deliberately paced, intense, and upsetting journey into one woman's descent into madness. Or, more specifically, Postpartum Psychosis.

From reading comments here and on other sites, it appears the general consensus is that viewers have been disappointed by the lack of explanation for certain occurrences in the movie, and the fact that we are given a denouement rooted in 'reality' as opposed to a supernatural explanation. Personally, I blame the marketing. This is a film that is hamstrung by it's awful cover art, attracting viewers expecting a pulpy 'Omen' style horror who then find themselves watching a slow - burn character study / psychological thriller.

This is a movie that demands patience from the viewer. Some have criticized it's lack of answers to certain questions raised, but to my eye the answers are all there. This is a story played out entirely through the eyes of it's protagonist, and viewed in that respect it DOES make sense. We are seeing events from the perspective of a very disturbed mind.

It must be said that Shue is very, VERY good in this role. She sold every aspect of Laura's freefall into madness and was believable at every turn. I usually find her acting style too forced, somewhat 'look at me, I'M ACTING!!', but in this she WAS the character, no question.

I find it strange that some people have accused this movie of being basically a piece of crap with no redeeming features. Obviously everybody is entitled to an opinion, and it wouldn't do if we all thought the same, but to my mind this was WAY better than most direct to DVD stuff. There seemed to be real artistry involved here, from the directing, the performances and even the fantastic score by John Frizzell. Also the ending, though certainly predictable, was both brave and horrifying - qualifying as one of the most downbeat I have seen in quite a while. That in itself sets First Born apart from most theatrical movies, never mind DVD premieres.

If you like a well acted, well directed psychological thriller then look no further. Just don't go expecting a supernatural Satan baby horror, or some such. Those upside down crosses have a lot to answer for.

Waste of Time....Watch Something Else

[chrisvancool · 1/10 · 20 March 2007]

This movie was one of the worst movies I have seen in a long time. I was very disappointed, I love Psychological thrillers, but this was far from that. Although Shue did a decent job in the movie, it couldn't save the fact that it was a horribly written movie. The story literally went nowhere, leaving me frustrated and annoyed. Many questions were never answered, and the character development was almost non-existent.

In the future I will think twice before ever seeing another Isaac Webb movie.

VERY DISAPPOINTING MOVIE

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME

A movie actually worse than Wickerman................

[tboothone · 1/10 · 23 March 2007]

Elisabeth Shue's voice mail:

"Hey Elisabeth, this is Nick. Remember when we made "Leaving Las Vegas", and we promised each other that we'd each try and make the worst film ever just for kicks? Well I just did an incredibly awful remake of "Wickerman"! So you're up...."

Nicolas Cage's voice mail:

"Hey it's me, two words - First Born! I win, you loser!"

Something has gone wrong, horribly wrong with movies lately. I can't even stay awake sometimes for the ending. The problem here is I really do like both Cage and Shue but the scripts and supporting cast that they got on these movies was awful. As far as First Born goes there is not one thing RIGHT with the movie. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WATCHING THIS. I suffer so you don't have to.

terrible

[shelloramma · 1/10 · 3 March 2007]

I was expecting more from this film. It started off dark with the potential to be creepy. I kept waiting for a climax or a twist but nothing. Shue acted well but an actor can only do so much. This film was doomed from the moment the ink hit the paper. A young woman has her first baby after moving from the city to a large home with her husband. He works all the time and she is left alone with the baby. She starts to slowly go mad. Although you keep hoping that something eerie or sinister will happen, it falls flat. The ending was terrible but I was so glad when it was over. It was an absolute yawnfest! Don't waste your time this movie SUCKED!

She was battling herself...

[deeva_deeva · 7/10 · 29 July 2007]

I think that overall this movie was quite well done. Unfortunately for some women, after the birth of their baby they slip into post partum depression, which is not the typical "baby blues".

The scene in the doctor's office was so unsettling, as one could tell that Shue's character wanted to tell the doctor more, but the doctor was scurrying along and didn't give her the time, instead just shoved a prescription into her face. Perhaps if she had been given the time to explain herself more thoroughly, the ending would have been different.

I know it's just a movie, but psychosis is a serious issue and must be dealt with seriously. This woman needed professional help and the doctor turned a blind eye to her dilemma. She told him point blank that she was suffering from anxiety and he didn't do anything about it. Any professional worth their degree would have pointed her in the direction of qualified counselors instantaneously. That's what was unbelievable to me within the scope of the movie.

The acting was phenomenal. Shue was spot on.

Absolutely nothing happens during the first hour of the film , a waste of time!

[norbert-irmer · 1/10 · 9 February 2007]

Yes, Elizabeth Shue is acting well, so what? To watch a pregnant woman for one hour, with nothing else going on, is a waste of 35mm film! There was no real climate to build up to. The "climate" ended in the last scene and was no surprise to me. The character "Laura" (Elizabeth Shue) is a little strange, really stupid and at the end mad (big surprise), that is it. It reminded me of "Hide & Seek" (just a little), but actually stands no comparison. There was no real thrill in it and the pseudo scary sound effects didn't do the job. The film was really boring and I was having a rough time staying awake until the end. This movie does not deserve to be called: "Overall, a very good film" This movie sucks!

Post Partum to the 10th power!!

[MarleighV · 7/10 · 19 August 2007]

I don't understand why everyone is complaining. This film set out to creep you out, and it succeeds at that. It's a sad tale of self loathing actually, where a woman knows she is not up to taking care of a baby, especially by herself, but can't seem to ask for help, or when she does, she is dismissed as being overprotective or overreacting. Typical. The mood of the film is dark as is the beautiful house that it takes place in. And the feeling is one of isolation both physically and emotionally. This woman is on her own. Her own mother didn't come to visit because "she hates to fly". Well get a Greyhound ticket and come over. You don't stay away when your child has their first child. With that and a busy husband, you get the sense of this woman's struggle of feeling unfit, wanting to be a good mother but unable to because she can't sleep, she can't eat and when she does try to have a normal existence, she locks herself in the basement and can't feed her newborn baby. She can't even color her hair, something that women do everyday without mishap, but she can't seem to do it. The movie was great. Watch it at night by yourself. Elizabeth Shue's performance is gut-wrenching.

***Do not watch this movie if you have a newborn or are expecting

[shaevans · 3/10 · 15 October 2007]

Alright, I am not sure where to start with this so here goes.. The movie overall was well acted but there was very little a solid acting performance could do so save the weak plot. I am a new father and have a 3.5 month son who happened to be with his mother at the time. The ending to this movie was the most disturbing thing I have seen in any recent movie I can think of. In fact it was so horrifying that I had to see my son ASAP. Please, if you are new parent, do not watch this. I can handle the most gruesome of movies but this, hit to close to home and just haunted me. Honestly, the movie was well done and it was a great performance by Shue. But I will never ever look at her the same again.

Gem of a psychological thriller

[celr · 8/10 · 29 March 2007]

First Born is the exploration of the inner world of a woman suffering a postpartum psychosis. This "Yellow Wallpaper" story is definitely not a Lifetime Network sort of film--it's much darker and scarier. It's downright creepy in a very subtle and artful way. After all the gore and explosions of today's thriller genre it's refreshing to see something so subdued and inward while maintaining a such a high level of suspense and desperation.

Elizabeth Shue is a dancer (and yes, she really looks like a dancer) who is stuck in a huge, spacious and mostly empty house in the suburbs while her rich, emotionally disengaged husband works in the city and comes home late at night, leaving her alone during the days with her newborn. Already a bit obsessive-compulsive, she begins to crack up in a serious way. What follows is rendered with impeccable attention to detail and maximum emotional impact. It is a psychological study but at the same time beautifully rendered visually. "First Born" has no didactic ax to grind, no social message, no deus ex machina in the form of social workers or therapists; it's just a fun scary story for intelligent moviegoers.

Different

[xredgarnetx · 6/10 · 16 October 2007]

I don't think anyone would question Elizabeth's Shue's ability to act up a storm or, after all these years, think of her as just another pretty face. In FIRST BORN, she plays a middle-aged woman who is having her first baby. Husband Steven Mackintosh moves wife and newborn daughter out into the country for peace and safety, but then he goes right back to work in the city, leaving them alone for long periods of time. Shue begins to imagine things, or does she? Perhaps there is a ghost haunting their old country manor. At one point, it appears someone has broken into the house, but is it real? Shue later tells the cops the intruder looked a lot like herself. She owns a rather unpleasant-looking doll she suspects may be haunting her in some way, and eventually throws it in the back yard pool where hubby mistakes it for their baby and dives in fully clothed to rescue it. Shue later discovers a bunch of rodents crawling on her baby and shakes the baby to get them off. But from her husband's POV, there are no rodents and Shue is simply shaking the baby. Shue buys a book on curses, and ends up in the looney bin for a month of rest and relaxation. When she somes home, her mom (Blair Brown) is there to help with things. And hubby takes some time off to be with mom and child. And then comes a truly unsettling ending. So what is FIRST BORN? Is it a ghost movie? The director obviously doesn't want us to think so. He actually shows Shue chasing herself around the house during the "intruder" sequence. FIRST BORN may have been marketed as a supernatural thriller, but it is actually about post partum psychosis. And Shue is amazing as her character edges closer to the final stages of insanity. FIRST BORN is almost a one-person movie, like a one-person stage performance, Shue is that good. But I am afraid this movie will not be for everyone, especially younger viewers, and anyone expecting another THE OTHERS will be sorely disappointed. It is a character study of a descent into madness and its horrifying consequences. By the way, at age 44, with her hair cut short, Shue looks remarkably like the Sharon Stone of old! There is a scene near the end where Shue is lying in bed, daffily smiling up at the ceiling, and in that moment she could pass for Stone's twin.

I actually bleed from my eyes and ears

[kjaffe1972 · 1/10 · 26 March 2007]

I had to seek medical attention after watching this movie. It was so bad I swear I started to bleed from my eyes and ears. It may be the worst movie of all time. This movie created more questions than answers and left me feeling unclean. The whole time I am waiting for something to happen and then....nothing. I'd rather watch Ben Affleck and Jenny from the Block in that other awful movie that we dare not say its name, while watching it with Chinese voices dubbed over it and bamboo being shoved under my finger nails. As for the acting.....the best part was the Dog named Parker.....I actually believed he died in the movie. Whatever acting school the dog went to you should send the rest of the cast to. WOW STAY AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE!!!!

So disturbing

[christina4821 · 3/10 · 21 September 2007]

While I thought Elisabeth Shue did a wonderful performance of a new mother going through the anxiety of post par-tum depression, the supporting actors were not as engaging. Her emotions were believable, but the storyline was extremely confusing. Perhaps because that was the whole point of the movie? Was the entire theme centered around the confusion, fear, and anxiety that most new mothers face? Because the ENDING completely destroyed any sympathy I had for what the main character. This movie left me with a HORRIBLE, unsettling feeling. I don't want to spoil the movie for everyone, but to the comments posted prior, I actually DID have to watch the movie again. There are subtle foreshadowing events that reveal her insecurities building...not only as a mother, but also as someone responsible for another life. I just hoped for a better ending.

Should have been a little more excitement

[jb19 · 4/10 · 2 July 2007]

Reading the other comments, I certainly see why people say this movie is lame. It does drag on with seemingly no point and just when you think something big will happen... it doesn't. But you are able to tell that this movie was made like this on purpose. All though may not have been the best idea it has a real life feel to it. Its shown through the perspective of "Shue" the whole movie, a lot of unanswered questions and confusion left at the end is because she never had them answered.... and honestly all of the questions are answered if you pay close enough attention there is just no "WHY" but you can figure the "HOW" out. Her hallucinations and the way her mind goes downhill is believable and the way things weren't always what they seemed, which disappoints the movie fan in you, really portrays something that could happen in the real world. This movie is good because it gives you that eerie feeling of real life where as if it was laced with a bunch of special effects and corny situations made strictly for fear and not the story line, it would have been much worse in my opinion.

Professional woman married to a professional man, happy happy to find out they are pregnant.

[kpgreenergrass · 5/10 · 9 April 2007]

This movie was very very weird. A lot of unanswered questions, I agree. Was she under a spell by that stupid doll or was she having major major severe postpartum depression? In the character listing and even on the back of the movie box it shows an African American female. On the character listing on this page her name is Deidre' who in the heck was that? did I miss her? Crazy. Who in the heck was Jenny? Did she (Shue) kill the baby at the end. I assumed she did. One thing, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I actually watched it twice, just to getting a better understanding, I'm still confused. SO, NO NO RENT IT....you'll be asking yourself questions that you'll never get answers for. I hate those kinds of movies!

A guaranteed punch in groin

[sobank · 7/10 · 13 January 2007]

**Warning : Spoiler regarding the theme**

Well first of all I like to say that i was kind of disappointed in first 2/3rd of the movie but man the last quarter set everything straight. And I blame it all on expectation that there will be some boogie man or some witchcraft would be involved. Wrong!!!!!!! This movie is not rosemary's baby. So don't be waiting for a devil child. Just watch it with a very open mind and keep all the possibilities in your mind and you will start getting the idea of where it is going.

Absolutely good movie. A must watch for horror addicts. And i will suggest that leave your companion out in dark or really tell him/her that there is no supernatural horror. The two approaches have different effects on viewer. In first case (leaving person no idea) will have a Sixth sense effect in the end. And if you already warned the person then movie becomes more of psycho thriller.

I think this was about my ex-wife

[comblitz · 4/10 · 3 April 2007]

I usually love anything with Elizabeth Shue. This one just didn't seem right. The movies leaves to many questions unanswered. What was interesting, however, on a personal level, was that this reminded me of my ex-wife's behavior after our child (2nd born), so I give high grades for realism.

At one point in the film, I thought this was going to Rosemary's baby reincarnate, and sadly it wasn't. The story line was sub-par and I wouldn't recommend anyone seeing movie as I feel I just wasted 2 hours of my life.

So why 4 and not 1? There are far worse films out there and at least this one was decently produced.

The disappearing plots......?

[LPsideout7 · 4/10 · 10 July 2007]

I give it a 4 only because I enjoyed Elizabeth Shue's performance. She truly looked 'crazed' in some of the scenes when it was called for.

So the disappearing plots....the girl...what happened to Jenny Foster? Was that the same girl in the subway? And did Elizabeth Shue take the baby from the subway? Was the house haunted by Jenny Foster? Was Jenny Foster pregnant and something happened to her?

And what happened with the whole witchcraft plot that was started?? I think they really should have built on that more or left it out completely. Was the old lady a witch? Was she trying to harm the child or help? Maybe its just me but I didn't get some parts of the movie. But by the looks of things I'm not the only person who didn't enjoy this movie either.

I will not watch it again or recommend it to anyone else to watch.

I thought the movie was good and DO recommend it.

[nightwalker02-1 · 8/10 · 1 January 2008]

I don't exactly understand why most of these reviews say the movie doesn't tell you what's happening. I can see how some people who don't think with an open mind or just have a low attention span and are expecting a Hollywood style horror/thriller movie get disappointed but that's not what this movie was going for.. This movie is as most others who gave it a high rating stated, is meant to be a psychological movie. So Laura sees rats in the house, Steve calls the exterminator who says there are no rats.. I'll admit I don't understand the whole Jenny thing but the voodoo. The older woman (Mrs. Kasperian)said she did some research after she was experiencing a similar anxiety after her first child so the thing under the crib was hers. However, the Mrs. Kasperian wasn't trying to do bad voodoo, you can gather from the character that she knew something was wrong and she did that little thing under the crib to help. Also, you know Laura's going crazy when near the end she sees the mice and tries to 'get the mice off her baby' when her husband Steve looks on the camera there are no mice (the mice are non-existent). Then at the end Laura does bury her baby thinking it was the 'cursed doll'. So, most of the events on the movie are explained and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. If you decide to watch it, I hope you enjoy it too.

A not typical movie!

[Angeles2021 · 2 July 2016]

I love Elizabeth shu and her movies always are worth watching so it automatically gets a great rating,hey she's got a track record.This movie really was really enjoyable, it was a light movie, yet suspenseful without heavy b.s. After she has her new baby she experiences mental anguish and feeling inadequate.At one point she leaves her baby in her car in the garage. After calling mom, mom offers to come to her aid but she declines. She's having trouble adjusting to her new home and child and her husband is barely there. He's the guy that comes to her aid during these odd experiences but doesn't get it and quickly is gone at work. I like the simplicity of the movie and at times odd but realistic. Her new nanny isn't quit so normal, making her experience even more troubling. I think she's a witch.At times the movie did seem to lose aspects or fill ins,like why dI'd this women do this?. I hated the end but it was a thriller okay. It just goes to prove how far you can go mentally if invoked which I feel she was by that witch. Im someone who's turned on movies because they all are the same, situated in the same scenic house,this one did not and held its own. Highly recommend! Caution the end is negative.Yes,not for squeamish.

what really happened?

[chillpepp · 7/10 · 19 October 2007]

I thought the movie started out great. I was very suspenseful. But I was disappointed and left hanging. Too bad I stayed up until 2:00 am watching it. There could have been a lot more to the story. I love Elisabeth Shue. She did a great job. I watched it almost just because she was in it. Maybe next time there can be a sequel that flashes back and gives answers to the mysteries that were not there the first time around. I thought it would be like Rosemary's Baby. I was mistaken. My co-workers and I discussed the movie the following day. Some were disturbed. Mostly everyone was disappointed. We all thought that maybe we missed something in the beginning and would watch it a second time. We did not miss anything though.

Clichéd But Watchable

[tarbosh22000 · 5/10 · 14 May 2010]

"First Born" is a clichéd but watchable thriller.

Laura (Shue) is a dancer who gets pregnant and moves into a country home with her husband (Steven Mackintosh). After the pregnancy, she starts getting post-partum depression. She uses (Tom Cruise's) advice to not go on drugs. She starts seeing and believing things that aren't real.

Elisabeth Shue puts in a good performance, but the script and plotting are lacking. It's basically the same scene for 90 minutes. Laura goes crazy and no believes her, Ad Nauseum. The ending, while interesting, can't bring the movie up to snuff in time.

Overall, "First Born" is a decent movie, but the script, idea and execution could've been way better.

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more questions than answers

[kyouryokusenshi · 1/10 · 9 July 2007]

The movie was good...until it ended. I understand that some movies leave cliffhangers, but instead of answering any questions it just created more questions. Honestly, it just seemed like a movie on a timer that had just come to an abrupt stop without offering any insight into what was going on for the last two hours. -_- Now I feel like I just wasted my time. Was the house really haunted or did Laura really go crazy? And who is Jenny and what is her significance to the plot? Even the back of the DVD case answered more questions. Who was the lady on the subway and what was her significance? If Laura was suffering postpartum depression, why did she kill her own child? That made absolutely no sense. I've honestly seen better movies, after watching the ending of this I just felt like I wasted two hours of my life that I will never get back.