Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tense psychological thriller explores postpartum depression.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Where to Watch
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Baby Ruby
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BABY RUBY, lifestyle influencer Jo (Noémie Merlant) leads a carefully curated life in upstate New York, where she prepares for her first child with husband Spencer (Kit Harington). But when baby Ruby arrives, things aren't the gentle lullaby she expected, and soon she's plunged into a nightmare world where threat seems to lurk in every corner and she starts to doubt the motives of everyone around her—even the child herself.
Is It Any Good?
Moving shadows, disjointed images, and sinister whispers pull audiences into the increasingly terrifying reality of a new mom in this debut feature film from Tony Award-nominated playwright Bess Wohl. Baby Ruby is told from the point of view of Merlant's sleep-deprived, increasingly paranoid Jo, reality blurring with hallucination to the point where nobody knows what's real and what's not. Is there a Rosemary's Baby-style conspiracy hatched between the local group of yummy mummies, are Jo's husband and mother-in-law also in dark cahoots, or is baby Ruby herself waging psychological warfare on her struggling mother? The movie keeps viewers guessing for the most part, leaning on tried and tested horror tropes to maintain the sense of unease, even as viewers are steered to wonder if the danger is coming from inside the house. The movie opens up the conversation about postpartum experiences and the lack of communication and honesty around them, as well as the influencer lifestyle leaving little room for imperfection. But weighed down by genre conventions, it gets a little muddled at times in its direction.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how motherhood is portrayed in Baby Ruby. How did Jo's experience of motherhood compare to her expectations? What do you understand postpartum depression to mean? How might you support someone struggling with such a condition?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
The movie is mostly a psychological thriller, but it also leans into horror conventions. Can you think of any tropes that fit the thriller/horror genres? How effective were they? Which stood out and why? Can you think of other movies that use similar techniques?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 3, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : February 3, 2023
- Cast : Noémie Merlant , Kit Harington , Meredith Hagner
- Director : Bess Wohl
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Magnet Releasing
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 1, 2024
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