STORYLINE: After seven years in solitary confinement, Chris Newborn is released into a world that feels both unfamiliar and overwhelming. Determined to rebuild his life, he attempts to reconnect with his family and navigate the routines of everyday freedom. But the psychological toll of isolation lingers, as Chris confronts the mental and emotional challenges that accompany his return to society. As he struggles to adapt, he must find a way to bridge the gap between the man he was and the person he hopes to become. (IMDb)

    There are creepy things that go bump in the night. They get even creepier when in isolation. The Shining (1980), The Thing (1982), and The Lighthouse (2019) prove just that.  Newborn is a new dramatic, psychological thriller.

    Not all thrillers are straight thrillers. They can also cross genres, and double dip as dramas. Newborn is one such feature.  The movie follows its central character, Chris Newborn, as he struggles to adjust to life outside of years of solitaire confinement.  The movie focuses on his psychological struggles with his new circumstances.  The film also addresses racial abuse in prison. 

    Through the course of the story the viewer watches Chris Newborn, his wife, and their young child end up in a hotel, on vacation, in the middle of the woods, that is being renovated. This means they are the only three in the hotel.  Then paranoia starts to   set in. 

    Yes, the last half of that paragraph is oddly familiar.  It has been done in horror movies, like those mentioned at the start of this blog. It’s been done better, in films like those mentioned at the start of this blog. 

   Newborn still had its moments that were worth watching. The psychological struggles to be thrown back into one’s life, from the perspectives of both the recently incarcerated, and those who are accepting him back into their lives for instance. 

   Newborn hit its political points, as well, and did not harp on them.  It revisited themas necessary.  This was effective, so audience members will not forget the talking films talking points. 

    Newborn is a thriller that works more as a drama when is a thriller

    Until next time, I will see you at the movies!