Reborn (I) (2018) User Reviews

below average....

[lifelinespublishing · 4/10 · 18 September 2019]

I will just do a numerical rating on some of the important points for this movie:

STORY: 6/10 -- This is actually a CARRIE imitation, a cheap one at that.... CAST: 5/10 -- virtual unknowns though the actress who played Tess did try togive her best., we can see it in the heavy scenes. ACTING: 5/10 -- average., Michael Pare was ok as usual playing a cool dude, lol SCARY SCENES: 3/10 -- it's not even scary, a 3 year old kid will sleep in this promise....

do watch something else if you another option.,

Very Basic Wet Sunday Afternoon Thriller

[omendata · 4/10 · 29 August 2020]

This is your typical mid day movie for bored housewives.

It is cliched and nothing we have not seen before using the Carrie model but it does have some good acting and the addition of Kayleigh Gibert does add some attraction for me as she is quite a stunner so an extra star for the eye candy but it is still a below average 4/10 Hatchets from me!

A waste of time and of Barbara Crampton.

[johannes2000-1 · 3/10 · 23 March 2020]

This is one of those movies that make you wonder why they were ever released. There's a fairly good basic idea (during a childbirth the baby seems to be stillborn, but later starts breathing again while in the morgue and is secretly abducted by the attendant in charge, only to turn up again 16 years later to confront her unsuspecting mother with her existance), that could result into a dozen potentially strong and interesting storylines. But then someone said: hey, let's turn the whole thing into a supernatural horror-flick! I cannot imagine anyone involved being really satisfied with the outcome: it's unconvincing to put it mildly, or to be honest: plain silly.

All possibilities to make it a tiny bit more involving are ignored. What's with this weird (clearly sexually deranged) morgue-attendant, who all of a sudden decides to father a lonely baby and does so for 16 years? How and where did the child live, what about school, friends, etc?? These 16 years are done with in two seconds, and wham, the guy attacks her (a first? or out of habit? We never get to know!) and she sets herself forcefully free to track down her mother. It doesn't help that they made the girl into a sort of walking zombie with a ridiculous hair-do, and her (supernaturally?) induced super-power (think "Carrie" with electricity!) looks more ridiculous than scary.

I have to say that Barbara Crampton does a great job as the surprised and later besieged mother, her initial scene with her daughter during her acting-class is actually very touching, but although she puts in all her professional efforts, she is totally wasted on this nonsensical film and even she cannot save it on her own.

Only for Barbara Crampton

[Sergiodave · 4/10 · 7 July 2021]

As horror movies go, this isn't terrible but it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to picture the final scene. Only reason I watched this was to tick off another Barbara Crampton movie. Avoid unless very bored.

Cliches ahead

[kosmasp · 4/10 · 21 February 2020]

Just because something is reborn, it doesn't make it immune against predictability. In this case cliches are really thrown at the viewer and a lot of things can be spotted miles ahead. Still it can be fun to a certain degree, if you let the movie.

I like Barbara Crampton, but even if you are a fan, you should not expect too much. There is only so much anyone can do (including Michael Pare) with a script/story like that ...

Barbara Crampton adds some class

[vampire_hounddog · 4/10 · 25 August 2020]

A baby declared stillborn is lying in the morgue but brought back to life by a freak accident. A morgue worker (Chaz Bono) saves her and secretly raises her as his own. 16 years later, the girl (Kayleigh Gilbert) is desperate to find her mother (Barbara Crampton), but has a deadly gift of being able to harness electricity. She goes on a murderous campaign to find and keep her mom.

Some of the acting here is pretty dreadful (especially from Michael Pare as the cop and some of the sub-characters), but in many respects it is an interesting old fashioned horror B movie could have been from the 1940s and 50s. Besides who can resist the great Barbara Crompton who always adds some class to the most mixed of horror films.

Watchable horror movie, but hardly memorable or outstanding...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 19 November 2019]

I stumbled upon the 2018 horror movie "Reborn" by sheer random luck. I picked it up, saw that iconic horror actress Barbara Crampton starred in it and seeing the movie being a horror, I was sold immediately.

And now that I have just finished watching "Reborn", I must say that the movie is definitely watchable. However, and yes there is a however here, the movie just wasn't outstanding or particularly memorable. Sure, there was a good sense of this being a horror movie like the way they used to make them in the late 1980s or early 1990s, so there is that nostalgia feel to it. But the storyline was just not all that captivating. And truth be told, there wasn't all that much of an overwhelming sense of horror throughout the movie.

The storyline and script was straight forward, and I must admit that the idea of someone being stillborn, then being abandoned and coming back to life was interesting, but translated to the screen at the hands of director Julian Richards then it didn't fare all that well.

The acting in the movie was definitely worthwhile, and it made sitting through the movie all the more doable and enjoyable. However, this is not award-winning performances, mind you, so don't get your hopes up.

Sadly the overall feel of "Reborn" was somewhat of a disappointment for me, because I had hoped for something more from a movie with Barbara Crampton and the concept idea that was presented in the storyline. The movie, while being watchable, is very forgettable, and this is hardly a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time.

"Reborn" manages to land a very mundane and mediocre rating of five out of ten stars from me. The movie just feels too weak and vain in terms of being a horror movie.

Regurgitated

[jonasatmosfera · 1/10 · 6 December 2020]

There is nothing interesting here.

"Reborn" was born out of the regurgitation of previous films. It is nothing more than a poor's man version of Carrie.

The only difference is that in "Reborn" we have a Carrie that has been electrified with a low voltage, low amperage, low quality battery pack. The sparks are feeble and pretty rare.

Reborn is an anemic film, it is more of a horror film made for grannies with heart conditions ....pretty tame and lame.

Average horror lifted by the central performance.

[parry_na · 6/10 · 19 February 2021]

Odd and mild Carrie/Frankenstein-lite story about a stillborn child brought back to life by an electrical storm, who then goes in search of her actress mother. Tess can control electricity and has the power to use it to kill people.

Prolific actress Barbara Crampton plays Lena, who had the baby (Tess) at 19, and Tess has come looking for her 16 years later. Crampton is a good actress, but even she can't convince as a 35 year old. Equally, what has Tess been doing for the first 16 years of her life? It seems she has been living with the creepy morgue attendant who abducted her, but it is surprising her powers don't seem to have made an impact during those formative years.

The film is lifted by Kayleigh Gilbert who is very good as Tess. Wide-eyed and slightly eccentric, Gilbert's performance actually rises above the material. My score is 6 out of 10.

Dont bother

[englulua · 1/10 · 30 November 2019]

Seriously? Its 2018 supposed to be better than this! Its literally a waste of time !

Tongue In Cheek Movie , I Loved It !

[carolynocean · 8/10 · 6 May 2021]

Maybe I read this movie wrong ? , but I have to say that I really enjoyed it .

I am a true horror fan, and I am open to all genres .

From the opening scene I just took it as, a not very serious, camp , and quirky story. I think that the makers here were definitely poking fun at the viewers !!!! , I was amused !

If you want to watch a clever , and I do think , well acted movie , then do give this one a go !

It's a cheeky and amusing one !!!

An 8 from me for a good nights entertainment.

Decent but nothing special

[Victor-fitforlife · 6/10 · 22 September 2021]

A "Carrie meets Frankenstein" movie, which though a decent watch, was spoiled for me by the film trying to pass 60 year old Barbara Compton off as a 35 year old! Yes...Barbara is still a beautiful woman and looks great, but playing a 35 year old was a mission too far...and this put the film on the back foot right from the start for me.

Well shy of a 100%

[ansell-72879 · 4/10 · 23 September 2021]

Reborn is based on an interesting idea but is let down in all of the major areas. An abandoned baby is reanimated in a morgue and things unfold from there.

The opening scenes hold promise but things quickly dissipate.

The first stumbling block is the script by Michael Mahin. It is cliched to the point of groaning. There are lots of lines such as, 'I've suffered and now it's your turn.' Lots! Production values are OK though for a mainstream release it has a dated and made for television feel. Once the ball is rolling, the plot also becomes a bit predictable and, well, cliched. Cinematography is pedestrian.

Director Julian Richards seems to operate out of an 80s aesthetic.

Rae Dawn Chong, daughter of Tommy Chong as in Cheech and Chong, is, I gather, something of a draw card but she doesn't have a big role and doesn't do much with it.

Chas Bono, child of Sonny and Cher, also has a 15 minute role and in a creepy way, is actually OK in it.

Julian Richards specializes in 'discount' horror and probably peaked with Silent Cry, another movie about mothers, babes and unresolved issues. It is more drama than horror and streets ahead of Reborn. Interesting but irrelevant, his next best effort was probably a fairly average documentary on Charles Dickens.

Michael Pare plays the best or luckiest police detective in the States with the largest badge imaginable. He is one of the better things in the movie but having said that, don't expect too much.

The star of the movie, Kayleigh Gilbert, has made a crime drama and a sort of alternative pic about an alternative community. She is not a commanding presence on screen but could be. Maybe she is one to watch for the future. Of her three movies this is the middle one and the by far the shakiest.

The second lead, Barbara Crampton, plays a washed-up B actress. Probably no need to say anymore.

I feel a bit harsh but really, Reborn seems to have been made to fill a quota or for some similar reason. There is a sense that no one is giving 100% and the ending is consistent with this.

Tired and derivative

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 9 September 2020]

I've seen some positive reviews of this one but I'm not buying it. I found it as dull and derivative as any other from recent years, with lazy direction, tired scares, and a general plotline that feels like nothing more than a rehash of the Stephen King work FIRESTARTER. Cast-wise, it's something of an '80s retrospective with roles for the likes of Barbara Crampton, Rae Dawn Chong and Michael Pare, but all are saddled with boring and lifeless characters. The various CGI-enhanced 'action' scenes are little more than laughable.

Garbage

[draftdubya · 2/10 · 8 January 2020]

Darwin was 100% right when Tess was still birthed. She's the biggest moron in the world. She kills because of her feelings. She kills people who have no clue who she is just because. She could've told her mother who she was and that would've been it,

Skip it unless

[anthony-651-372162 · 3/10 · 24 July 2020]

If you are a die hard fan of Horror then you might appreciate the story line for the genre. Good idea and all, but has this ever so overly, "meh" feeling. Any fan of quality and content best be known as, "a decent horror movie", will not enjoy it, mostly because of the low quality and highly cliche production. Save yourself the trouble and skip it. There is nothing new here. Not even a ninety minute film.

The Worst!

[Mehki_Girl · 1/10 · 17 February 2021]

OMG, this was awful. Rae Dawn Chong (Tommy Up in Smoke Chong's daughter) got old, looks awful almost mummified and can't act at all.

Actually, no one in this movie can lay claim to any acting ability.

I was looking forward to a grade B movie I could half watch while I did things with my phone.

But this is a resounding, NO!

When a lousy script is well executed...

[adam-50-56367 · 4/10 · 22 July 2023]

This script had a great team to make it a reality. The cinematography style. The intro was so cool. Fantastic acting. The concept is cool no matter how many times it is done. The music is very well done. The directing and suspense there.

The problem is that the script was, not only as cheesy as others have stated, but just very unrealistic. It was stupid. I got the impression that who wrote it was very uneducated. The dialogue was lame. But even with that script in their hands, the actors and crew were able to crush it. So much talent to be observed here.

This is one of those films where I just wonder how this script got past so much talent without getting a rewrite.

Nice to see Barbara Crampton still starring in horror movies, this one was OK

[Stevieboy666 · 6/10 · 24 August 2020]

I caught this movie's premier on British TV and have to say that compared to the bulk of 21st Century horror drivel this one wasn't too bed. It stars 80's Scream Queen Barbara Crampton (she still looks good) as an actress who gave birth to a stillborn baby. Only that baby did not actually die and she became some sort of Carrie, only with power over electricity. Kayleigh Gilbert played the part of Tess well, but I suspect she was a few years older than the 16 year old that she was playing. There are a couple of decent jump scenes (one is a complete rip off of Carrie), the plot was engaging and fairly original, plus at under 80 minutes the film is well paced.

No. Not Impressed.

[wandernn1-81-683274 · 3/10 · 31 January 2021]

I really had to think about this one at the end, albeit briefly. But really it was not scary, not impressive. It is probably a stretch even giving it a 3/10.

My Review Of "Reborn"

[ASouthernHorrorFan · 8/10 · 12 August 2019]

The film really does have a classic horror feel, the almost supernatural fantasy-inspired atmosphere surrounding such a paranormal tale is instantly intriguing. And there is very clear references to Stephen King's stuff, the tragic nature of Tess' origin story and ongoing troubled existence is reminiscent of both Carrie and Charlie oozes from this character. The whole telekinesis aspect aside, "Reborn" really does play like a video rental from the past.

The characters are rich and engaging. I would have loved a bit more time spent on exploring the dynamic between the story's two main characters, but if more kills supplants stronger story arc then I'm cool with it. "Reborn" does have some flaws, for one it moves too fast for any real connection to develop between audience and character. The second I will get to in a moment. The cast is great. There are recognizable genre actors attached to this one and they all deliver. Especially newcomer Gilbert. Her and Crampton's time on screen is a sweet spot for this movie.

The special effects in "Reborn" are mixed, both in technique and quality. Usually a paranormal film has some leeway when using CGI. And for the most part this film has some shinning moments, blending CGI effects to enhance more practical stunts. However some moments come off cheaper than what this film deserves. That being said, there is some quality kills in "Reborn", and one really awesome jump scare, brutal kill that got me- got me good! Definitely check it out.

Not bad

[LoverOfFilmsAndMusic · 6/10 · 27 August 2020]

If your a fan of thriller and have some type of knowledge in metaphorical analysing things, I think you too will enjoy this film. Imagine being told you're not wanted your entire life & then you find the people who you want a connection with & they immediately welcome you into their life, you would cherish them. Protecting those you love......but the crazy part about this film is IDK if the whole time she was shooting a movie or what.....but I think that was the point.

Bad storyline

[wargojason-94698 · 4/10 · 1 September 2022]

I got to say I wasn't getting alot of adrenaline the acting was mediocre and the plot wasn't so strong I mean this is supposed to be a horror film and horror films are supposed to have jumpscares and there wasn't any what a pity also the ending was corny also the teenage girl in this movie should've been in therapy apparently she didn't get any kind of therapy but that reminds me of times where kids who were abused their whole life most of them grow up to be very aggressive and somewhat evil it's true. And then there are some people who had really good lives turn into the scum of the earth that's why the Chinese created the yin yang symbol because there's a little evil in all things good and there's a little good in all things evil so everyone on this planet has a choice to be good or evil.

Bit naff

[mrmgarnham · 5/10 · 24 July 2021]

I was expecting more from this horror. Decent plot but the directing and SFX are lacking.

A Shocker!

[Pairic · 6/10 · 31 August 2020]

Reborn: Trashy horror in a good way, watchable but doesn't deliver as much as it seems to promise, maybe it's 70 minute running time is due to excessive editing. A stillborn baby, Tess, is reanimated by an electrical charge and is "adopted" by a weirdo morgue attendant Ken (Chaz Bono). The family are really strange, when 16 year old Tess (Kayleigh Gilbert) discovers she has electro-kinetic powers and kills the abusive Ken, the police find that Ken has kept his mother's mummified body in the house. Tess goes in search of her mother Lena who is played by the great Scream Queen Barbara Crampton. Lena is a fading actress who is trying to make a comeback. Tess leaves a rail of frazzled corpses as controls electrical devices, death by zapped hearing-aid, hacked car (Christine!) and lift. A few good shocks in more ways than one. This might have worked better as an episode of an anthology series as it's either too short or too long. Worth watching though, even has a homage to Carrie. Directed by Julian Richards and written by Michael Mahin. On the Horror Channel. 6/10.