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| A curious retro-styled image that doesn't leave much knowledge about the actual film makes up the poster for Sebastián Silva's Nasty Baby |
A video artist/gay man in New York is working on a project about babies, meanwhile he and his boyfriend attempt becoming parents with the help of a good female friend. During this period they are plagued by a transgressive homeless man outside their home.
Nasty Baby is written and directed by great Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Silva (Life Kills Me (2007)), who also stars as one of the leads, Freddy.
It is a freaky indie film with its very own energy. Silva impresses as a filmmaker and actor in a strong ensemble, where Kristen Wiig (Ghostbusters (2016)) also turns in a bold effort and something very different than what we have seen before from her side. Tunde Adebimpe (Marriage Story (2019)), Alia Shawkat (First Cat (2019)), Neal Huff (Spotlight (2015)) as the gallery owner and Reg E. Cathey (Two Men in Town (2014)) as the homeless man known as The Bishop - are all terrific.
Sergio Armstrong's (I Am from Chile (2013)) cinematography is beautiful and consistent, and so is the film's editing. The discomfort builds imperceptibly, and when it culminates, Nasty Baby had gotten far under my skin - and was hard to get out again!
The story here is a strong combination, which nails the confounded feeling that soon-to-be parents can find themselves in, when new and lived life comes all the way to its surface. Nasty Baby is surprisingly scary and incredibly effective due to its successful ultra-realism. It is a hard little package that leaves a lot for discussion by its conclusion. - An anxiety-provoking, deeply cool endeavor, Nasty Baby gave me the crazy creeps!
Watch a 1-minute clip from the film here
Cost: Unknown
Box office: 80k $
= Uncertain - but undoubtedly a box office disaster
[Nasty Baby premiered 24 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 101 minutes. Shooting took place in New York. Toronto International Film Festival rejected the film, reportedly because they did not like its ending. It opened #69 to an 8k $ first weekend in 2 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #40 and in 18 theaters, grossing 79k $ (98.8 % of the total gross). The only other recorded market is the UK with less than 1k $ in gross. The film won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Silva returned with Dolfun (2016, short), Madly (2016, segment) and theatrically with Tyrel (2018). Wiig returned in The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards (2015); Adebimpe in 7 Chinese Brothers (2015); Silva as as actor has only returned in 2 credits since; Dolfun (2016, short) and Islands: No Milk, No Sugar (2016, music video). Nasty Baby is fresh at 68 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Nasty Baby?
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