First Born Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

Trailer

Director: Isaac Webb
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Release year: 2007
Runtime (length): 1h 35min
IMDb rating: 4.8/10 (3.6K votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 19%

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0.0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews)

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A new mom moves to the suburbs, gets weird vibes, thinks the spooky house or a creepy doll is out to get her baby, but maybe she just needed a nap?

🍿 First Born: Detailed Plot Synopsis

A New Life Begins in a Secluded Home

Laura, a dancer in New York City, discovers she’s pregnant, leading to a major life change. Along with her husband Steven, a busy executive, they decide to move out of the city into a large, somewhat isolated house in the suburbs to raise their child. The transition proves challenging for Laura, who is forced to put her dance career on hold. Already described as a bit edgy, the move and the impending birth create new anxieties.

Postpartum Struggles and Rising Paranoia

After giving birth to their daughter, Jessica, via C-section, Laura’s anxiety deepens. She feels increasingly isolated in the large house while Steven is often away at work. Strange occurrences begin to plague her, including apparent infestations of mice. Laura’s mental state deteriorates, leading her to question her surroundings and the people in her life. She becomes distrustful, particularly of a new babysitter hired to help with the baby, believing sinister forces are at play.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

If you plan to watch the movie first, watch here and come back to this section afterward.

See Spoilers and Ending

The Unsettling Climax: Reality or Delusion?

As Laura’s grip on reality loosens, her paranoia reaches a critical point. Believing her baby is threatened by malevolent forces, potentially linked to a doll she finds and perceived witchcraft, she takes drastic action. In a disturbing sequence, Laura is shown burying the doll, believing it is the source of the evil. The final moments reveal the tragic culmination of Laura’s psychological breakdown. When Steven asks about Jessica, Laura responds with confusion, suggesting she no longer recognizes her own child or perhaps believes she has disposed of the threat (the baby, mistaking it for the doll). The film leaves the audience to grapple with the horrifying implications of her actions, firmly rooting the terror in her severe postpartum psychosis rather than supernatural events, although some elements remain ambiguously presented through her perspective.

🎬 Cast & Characters

Laura (Elisabeth Shue): A new mother who descends into paranoia and psychosis after the birth of her first child.
Steven (Steven Mackintosh): Laura’s busy husband who initially supports her but seems unable to fully grasp her mental breakdown.
Mrs. Kasperian (Kathleen Chalfant): The housekeeper hired to help Laura, who Laura suspects of witchcraft or intending harm towards her baby.
Laura’s Mother (Blair Brown): Laura’s distant mother who eventually comes to assist her after she has a breakdown.
Jessica (None): Laura and Steven’s newborn daughter who is the focus of Laura’s increasing fear and delusions.

💬 Memorable Quotes

Steven: “Morning sweetheart.” – Steven greets Laura in the morning, unaware of the horrifying events that have just transpired.
Laura: “Good morning.” – Laura responds calmly, seemingly recovered after her breakdown.
Steven: “Where’s Jessica?” – Steven asks about their baby daughter, leading to the film’s unsettling final moment.
Laura: “Who’s Jessica?” – Laura delivers the chilling final line, revealing the extent of her psychological break and her disconnection from her child.

💰Box Office

Budget: N/A
Domestic Gross: N/A
Worldwide Gross: N/A

💥 First Born Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, wow. This movie definitely left me feeling… something. It’s one of those films where you’re constantly asking, ‘What is even happening?!’ I found myself completely pulled into Elisabeth Shue’s performance; she just *felt* authentically terrified and unstable. The creepy doll and the weird stuff with the babysitter really got under my skin. For a long time, I was convinced it was going supernatural, and honestly, I kind of wanted it to be! The house felt like a character itself – big, empty, and just wrong. That ending, though… it hits you hard, but it also leaves you thinking. I appreciate that it chose a more grounded (if disturbing) path, even if it wasn’t what I initially expected. It sticks with you long after the credits roll.

Who would enjoy:
- “Fans of psychological thrillers”
- “Viewers interested in character studies on mental health themes (specifically postpartum psychosis)”
- “Those who appreciate ambiguous or open-to-interpretation endings”
Content warnings ⚠:
- “Rated PG-13 for violence/terror”
- “Depiction of mental illness (postpartum psychosis)”
- “Themes of paranoia and anxiety”
- “Disturbing ending involving a baby”
- “Animal death (dog poisoned)”
- “Mouse trap scene (animal suffering)”

Professional Reviews

Inspired by IMDb Reviews: “Elisabeth Shue delivers a powerful, raw performance as a dancer grappling with new motherhood in an isolating new home. While the film might frustrate viewers expecting traditional horror, it succeeds as a deeply unsettling psychological study of a woman’s descent into madness. The deliberate pacing and inward focus create a palpable sense of dread.
Inspired by IMDb Reviews: “This psychological thriller bravely explores postpartum psychosis, anchored by an incredible performance from Elisabeth Shue. The film places you squarely in her unstable perspective, blurring the lines between reality and delusion. It’s not an easy watch, often confusing and disturbing, but it offers a unique, artful take on mental unraveling.
Inspired by IMDb Reviews: “Despite a committed performance by Elisabeth Shue, ‘First Born’ is a tedious exercise in psychological ambiguity. The film drags through its first hour, offering little payoff for its slow burn. The narrative is frustratingly vague, leaving too many questions unanswered for many viewers and ultimately feeling like a wasted opportunity.

Audience Reactions

Many viewers praised Elisabeth Shue’s intense and believable performance.: People who enjoyed it appreciated the focus on psychological horror and the ambiguous nature of the events, seeing it as a realistic portrayal of mental illness.

The ending was frequently cited as shocking and disturbing, albeit confusing for some.: The slow pacing and perceived lack of clear answers or traditional plot progression were common points of criticism among dissatisfied viewers.

Overall Consensus: A highly divisive film, ‘First Born’ is seen by some as a powerful, artful psychological thriller about postpartum psychosis, carried by a strong lead performance. Others found it slow, confusing, and frustratingly vague, lacking a clear narrative payoff.

Awards

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🛠️ Behind the Scenes

“The book about curses/witchcraft used in the movie is the real-life book “Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft” by Raymond Buckland.”
“Despite some positive reviews praising its psychological depth and Elisabeth Shue’s performance, the film was released directly to DVD in the United States.”
“Many viewers and critics noted that the film’s marketing, featuring elements like upside-down crosses on the DVD cover, misleadingly suggested a supernatural horror film rather than the psychological thriller it is.”

🖥️ How to Watch First Born?

Looking to watch ‘First Born’ (2007)? This psychological thriller is available for digital purchase or rental on platforms like Amazon. Check your preferred streaming services for availability, as options may vary.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed First Born, you might like these similar films:

The Babadook (2014): Explores a mother’s struggle with grief and mental health manifesting as a terrifying entity, similar to ‘First Born’s’ focus on postpartum psychosis.
Repulsion (1965): A classic psychological horror film focusing on a young woman’s descent into madness while isolated in an apartment, driven by internal turmoil.
The Others (2001): An atmospheric, early 2000s Gothic horror film centered on a mother protecting her children in an isolated house, featuring a major twist about reality and perception.
Relic (2020): A modern psychological horror film dealing with themes of aging, dementia, and the decaying family home, creating a deep sense of dread and disorientation.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968): A foundational cult classic in pregnancy horror and paranoia, where a young woman fears her unborn child is in danger from those around her, blending psychological tension with occult themes.

🛒 First Born Related Products

First Born DVD or Digital Copy: Own this unsettling psychological thriller to experience the full descent into paranoia and its shocking conclusion. Re-watch key scenes to pick up on subtle clues.
Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft: The actual book on curses/witchcraft featured and mentioned in the movie. Delve into the historical and practical aspects of modern witchcraft.
Psychological Thriller Film Collection (Blu-ray): A collection featuring other acclaimed psychological thrillers that play with themes of unreliable narrators, isolation, and mental distress.
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories: A collection including Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s classic novella, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’ frequently cited by critics as a thematic parallel to ‘First Born’ in its depiction of a woman’s mental decline in isolation.

🎧 Soundtrack

First Born features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

“Draichot” – performed by Dee Carstensen and John Frizzell

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

Is ‘First Born’ a supernatural horror film?

While ‘First Born’ employs elements of suspense and psychological horror, the consensus among viewers and critics is that the film’s events are primarily rooted in the protagonist’s descent into severe postpartum psychosis rather than being caused by supernatural forces. Many perceived ‘supernatural’ events are presented through her unreliable perspective.

What happens at the end of ‘First Born’?

The ending reveals that the protagonist, Laura, suffering from severe postpartum psychosis, mistakes her baby for a cursed doll and buries her. The final scene shows her having lost touch with reality, no longer recognizing her daughter’s name.

What is ‘First Born’ about?

‘First Born’ is a psychological thriller about a new mother, Laura, who moves to a secluded house with her husband after the birth of their first child. Isolated and struggling with anxieties intensified by postpartum psychosis, she begins to perceive threats and sinister events around her and her baby, leading to a tragic outcome.

Who was Jenny in ‘First Born’?

The identity and significance of ‘Jenny’ remain ambiguous within the film. User reviews and discussions often cite ‘Jenny’ as one of the unexplained plot points or characters that contribute to the film’s sense of mystery or, for some viewers, confusion.

🔥 Bonus Content

What Pregnancy Does to the Body

Ever wonder what *really* goes on inside the body during pregnancy? This video breaks it down from a scientific perspective – pretty fascinating stuff!