David S. Goyer’s ‘The Unborn’ is Unoriginal, Uninspiring Mess

Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Odette Yustman stars in David S. Goyer’s “The Unborn,” a poorly conceived and produced horror movie that could have just as easily been called “The Un-scary,” “The Uninspiring,” “The Unoriginal,” or “The Unexciting”. Whatever you do, just un-plan to see it this weekend.

After his similarly superstitious and sloppy “The Invisible.” it’s surprising that David S. Goyer would go back to a storytelling well that failed him the first time. That film was an ineffective trip to the other side and “The Unborn” is an ineffective film about a trip back.

Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) and Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) attempt an exorcism.
Photo credit: Rogue Pictures

The poor girl haunted by a visitor from the other side in “The Unborn” is the gorgeous Casey Beldon (Yustman). This Megan Fox doppelganger is haunted by dreams of a young boy, a creepy dog, and a buried fetus. One night, she’s attacked by a neighbor child she’s babysitting and warned that “Jumby is waiting to be born.” “Jumby” was the nickname for the twin that died while Casey was still in utero. And he’s angry about more than just being given a stupid nickname before he was even born.

The Unborn from Rogue Pictures opens on January 9th, 2009. Photo credit: Rogue Pictures

After the babysitting night from Hell, Casey is haunted by an increasing series of nightmarish events, including ghostly children, waves of potato bugs, and terrifying dreams. And that damn neighbor kid likes to hang out in her yard and look creepy.

Apparently, the fact that Casey was a twin and that her brother died makes her a portal for an evil visitor from the other side, a “Dybbuk,” an ancient force that has been waiting to get through and wreak havoc on humanity ever since he was first thwarted in a concentration camp during WWII. Yes, Goyer has the nerve to use the holocaust as a storytelling device in a generic horror movie.

Absolutely none of the imagery in “The Unborn” has the power that it needs to for a movie like it to work. Goyer’s choices as a screenwriter and a director are more head-scratching than terrifying, as if he read a few books on ancient myths and superstitions and took whatever grabbed his attention that day. There’s no sense of building atmosphere or tension. “The Unborn” is merely a string of weird images held together by one of the most disjointed and poorly conceived horror screenplays in a long time. Considering the state of the genre, that’s almost an accomplishment.

Everything about “The Unborn” feels slapped together by a horror movie Mad Libs program. Even the plot makes little to no sense. Is it Casey’s dead twin or a demonic creature trying to break through to the other side? Why does the Rabbi who doesn’t believe her one day come to her rescue the next? Where does her father (James Remar) disappear to in the entire second half of the film?

Odd cameo-length performances from Carla Gugino, Idris Elba, James Remar and Rhys Coiro add to the sensation that “The Unborn” was shot during a week-long break from “The Dark Knight” set. Goyer’s not the only thing in common. Both films were shot in Chicago and both films feature Gary Oldman in supporting roles. He plays a Rabbi trying to help Casey in “The Unborn”. Sadly, none of the quality of the one Chicago production with Oldman made it to the other.

RELATED READING A 20-Image Slideshow of The Unborn

The only thing that saves “The Unborn” from being an early worst-of-the-year candidate is the mildly interesting performance from Yustman and a few interesting visual flourishes from Goyer. They’re not strung together into anything effective, but even a few moments - there’s a startling sequence in a club bathroom that works - can save a horror movie from being at the bottom of the genre barrel.

Perhaps the appropriate reaction to “The Unborn” is best summed up by an exchange I heard on the way out of my screening. A man behind me on the escalator said to his date, “I knew it would be bad, but I didn’t think it would be that bad.” Now you know.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com