Film Review – The Fetus (2025)

      The Fetus, 2025.

      Directed by Joe Lam.

      Featuring Bill Moseley, Lauren LaVera, Julian Curtis, Evan Towell, and Ariel Yasmine.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A couple finds themselves expecting a half-human, half-demonic fetus with a craving for blood, and they must uncover its horrifying origins before it's too late.

      In The Fetus, Alessa (Lauren LaVera) realizes she has unintentionally become pregnant by her boyfriend Chris (Julian Curtis). Rather than celebrating, Alessa insists they visit her father, Maddox (Bill Moseley), who had previously insisted she come to him if she ever got pregnant. Chris has his own hesitations about having a baby but agrees to go. However, getting to know Maddox proves challenging, as he is blind and suffering from PTSD from his time in Vietnam.

      The stakes rise higher than merely trying to impress Alessa's father, as it becomes clear that Alessa’s pregnancy is the result of Maddox's pact with a demon from decades past. His blindness, it turns out, was due to him not sacrificing Alessa to that demon. Now, he faces a new opportunity to placate the demon, which manifests as a vampiric tentacle monster that preys on anyone who isn’t family, leaving Chris to grapple with the decision of whether he wants to become a father.

      The Fetus is somewhat muddled in its own mythology. Drawing inspiration from Larry Cohen’s It's Alive!, it’s a low-budget indie film that leans on its cast to elevate it from the realm of sheer absurdity to somewhat enjoyable nonsense. How does it set itself apart? It’s impossible to present it as a serious horror film, given the ridiculous premise, the visuals reminiscent of a 1990s Megadeth music video, and the convoluted storytelling around who needs to be sacrificed and why (which remains largely unclear by the end). However, Bill Moseley has ample experience with this kind of schlocky horror, knowing precisely how to approach it, while Lauren LaVera brings enough draw for modern horror fans, reaffirming her status as one of the best recent scream queens (even though she deserves better than this film). The combination of these two performers lends The Fetus more substance than it would have had with lesser-known actors.

      Julian Curtis, playing Chris, adds an element of comic relief, though the plot's silliness encourages a sarcastic delivery of lines (e.g., "You can’t get pregnant overnight"—yet she did, and no one questions it). He partners well with Bill Moseley, and his character experiences the most significant arc. If you want to find a deeper message about nature versus nurture, fatherhood, or the importance of communicating with your partner when a condom fails, it's present, but don’t fret if you're just there to witness vampiric tentacles emerging from Alessa's legs, as that’s essentially the main attraction.

      The Fetus succeeds because everyone involved understands the type of film they're creating: a low-budget black comedy about a demonic baby with subpar but serviceable effects, led by three actors who have a great dynamic. Expecting the quality of filmmaking found in The Exorcist or The Omen will only lead to frustration and dissatisfaction, and it’s hard to stay angry at a movie featuring a scene with a guy inserting himself into a fiery hole in the floor to conceive. Adjust your expectations and approach The Fetus ready for 84 minutes of ridiculous baby B-movie fun, and you might enjoy yourself... perhaps.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Chris Ward