The Lamashtu was an invasive deity from ancient Mesopotamina who disrupted childbirth, stealing newborn children from their mothers. The goddess was the bloodsucker daughter of the Sky God Anu. Obviously, she needed a lot of company in the vast spaces of the sky, and she preferred her company to be young.
"Still/Born" approaches this mythological topic more from a clinical psychological perspective than as a mythical archetype. After Mary and Jack lose one of their babies, who is a stillborn, Mary comes to believe that her healthy baby Adam is also in danger of being gobbled up by the the voracious Lamashtu.
The main problem with the film is that it avoids examination of the mythical question and manipulates the viewer with the question of whether Mary is suffering from what the generic psychiatrist in the film calls "postpartum psychosis," or the loss of the woman's ability to discern reality after childbirth.
The flimsy plot did not deliver many chills, and the lead character Mary was helpless and pathetic in confronting the challenge of Lamashtu. The reason why successful horror films like "The Exorcist" work is that characters put up a battle against the paranormal and unseen forces of evil. In the case of "Still/Born," Mary is the quintessential victim.
Sadly, there were too many plot holes, such as the inexplicable escape of Mary from the psych ward and the puzzling ending that explains nothing about the true nature of Lamashtu. Overall, this was a direct-to-viewer film that added nothing new to the horror genre.
"Still/Born" approaches this mythological topic more from a clinical psychological perspective than as a mythical archetype. After Mary and Jack lose one of their babies, who is a stillborn, Mary comes to believe that her healthy baby Adam is also in danger of being gobbled up by the the voracious Lamashtu.
The main problem with the film is that it avoids examination of the mythical question and manipulates the viewer with the question of whether Mary is suffering from what the generic psychiatrist in the film calls "postpartum psychosis," or the loss of the woman's ability to discern reality after childbirth.
The flimsy plot did not deliver many chills, and the lead character Mary was helpless and pathetic in confronting the challenge of Lamashtu. The reason why successful horror films like "The Exorcist" work is that characters put up a battle against the paranormal and unseen forces of evil. In the case of "Still/Born," Mary is the quintessential victim.
Sadly, there were too many plot holes, such as the inexplicable escape of Mary from the psych ward and the puzzling ending that explains nothing about the true nature of Lamashtu. Overall, this was a direct-to-viewer film that added nothing new to the horror genre.