After months of struggling to conceive, Lucy and Aiden’s (Illana Glazer and Justin Theroux) baby dreams come true thanks to a charming fertility doctor, Dr. Hindle (Pierce Bronson). While her pregnancy progresses, Lucy begins to discover some unsettling and sinister truths about their doctor…
Yes. Basically, False Positive is a modernized version of Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby with a great cast but no direction.
False Positive wants so badly to capture a messier side of pregnancy while desperately trying to weave social commentary throughout its narrative. However, it all gets lost in its own misguided confusion.
From a horror stance, its aesthetics are darkly stylish, which is expected from A24 based on recent horror hits like Hereditary. However, its flat storytelling and desperate plot twists leave little room to be impressed.
And guys, the final act is so preposterous, that it basically overshadows everything the film tries to build. To throw everything away a film works to achieve with a WTF moment is not a good strategy.
I REALLY wanted to get behind Illana Glazer’s performance. I think she’s so talented. However, I honestly felt like I was watching a Lifetime movie performance. Her grunts, screams and innate rage feel less than authentic.
Rosemary’s Baby is a cornerstone of modern day horror. It has tried to be replicated so many times and none of them have packed a punch. Let’s just all agree, some horror formulas don’t need to be retested or redone.
Final Thoughts: False Positive is a big fat negative.
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