‘The Unborn’ (2009)—A Horror Movie With a Sensible Approach to the Supernatural

Genre | Horror.

The horror genre has one goal, and that’s scaring the living daylights out of you. To get there, however, logic and reason usually take a backseat, and we watch helplessly as characters make one bad decision after another. It’s almost like a checklist: splitting up when they shouldn’t, check; investigating creepy noises in the basement, check.

Bad decisions drive horror. A story wouldn’t go anywhere without someone doing something stupid. That’s just how these stories progress. But once in a while, a film comes along and throws us a curveball, showing us that sensible decision-making can actually exist in horror, and The Unborn (2009) is one of those rare films.

When Casey Beldon, played by Odette Yustman, finds herself dealing with strange, terrifying visions and a relentless paranormal presence, she doesn’t just brush it off. She makes some unusually practical decisions, ones that add a layer of believability to the supernatural chaos unfolding around her. That alone makes The Unborn unique in a genre that usually relies on thoughtless behavior for the sake of the story.

A frightful family secret unveiled

The Unborn is about Casey, who begins to experience nightmarish hallucinations. One recurring hallucination is that of a ghostly child with unnerving blue eyes. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill creepy occurrences; they feel more personal, more targeted. When Casey’s neighbor’s son, Matty, smashes a mirror on her head and cryptically tells her, “Jumby wants to be born now,” the mystery starts to unravel. This isn’t just a random haunting, it’s tied to Casey’s own family.

Instead of dismissing these strange events, Casey seeks help from a spiritual adviser and digs into her family history. She discovers that she had a twin brother who died in the womb, nicknamed “Jumby.” This revelation not only gives a name to the malevolent presence tormenting her but also sets the stage for the sensible actions that follow.

Sensible steps amid chaos

As Casey learns more about her situation, the plot takes us into Jewish folklore, specifically the dybbuk, a restless, malevolent spirit. Casey is being haunted by this spirit, which is intent on using her as a gateway to enter the physical world. Naturally, she’s terrified, but instead of running blindly into danger or ignoring the situation, Casey takes some reasonable steps. She contacts Sofi Kozma, who happens to be her grandmother and has dealt with a dybbuk before. Kozma gives her a hamsa amulet for protection and some wise advice: destroy all mirrors and burn the shards. She also points Casey to Rabbi Joseph Sendak (Gary Oldman), who can perform an exorcism.

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Now, here’s where The Unborn does something we don’t see often in horror movies, it takes the time to prepare properly for the exorcism. Typically, in horror films, exorcisms seem rushed or thrown together in a state of desperation. But The Unborn does the opposite. The rabbi isn’t immediately convinced of Casey’s story, but when he sees a dog with its head grotesquely twisted in his synagogue, he agrees to help.

In what might be one of the more practical moments in exorcism movie history, the priest, played by Idris Elba, has everyone sign a waiver to avoid liability if things go wrong. That’s right, before getting into a confrontation with a dangerous supernatural entity, they get the paperwork in order. It’s a small detail, but it adds a sense of realism and acknowledges the inherent risks of performing such a ritual.

Backup plans and sensible precautions

During the exorcism scene, Casey, the rabbi, the priest, and other volunteers gather in what feels like a well-thought-out setup. There’s a gurney nearby, medics on hand, and an entire team prepared to face the supernatural. It’s not just two people going into a haunted house with no backup; this is a full-blown, coordinated effort to rid Casey of the dybbuk.

This is a horror movie, after all, and of course things go horribly wrong . The dybbuk, growing stronger, attacks them, leading to some casualties. But the fact remains that these characters were as prepared as they could be, given the circumstances. This level of preparedness is rare in horror, where overconfidence or outright ignorance usually leads to disaster.

Why it works

The Unborn may not have been critics favorite, but it did gross $76.5 million against its $16 million budget. One of the reasons it stands out, even years after its release, is that it allows its characters to act sensibly without sacrificing the horror. Casey doesn’t blindly rush into danger. She seeks help from spiritual authorities, follows their advice, and assembles a team when the time comes to perform the exorcism. The fact that they take the time to prepare, consider the risks, and have a backup plan makes the movie feel more grounded.

In many horror films, the suspense comes from watching characters make progressively worse decisions. But The Unborn manages to create tension even when the characters are doing everything right. It’s a welcome change of pace for a genre that often sacrifices logic in favor of shock value.

While The Unborn may not be remembered as one of the greatest horror films of all time, it deserves credit for showing that characters in a supernatural horror movie don’t have to be reckless to keep the story engaging. Sensible decisions can be made, and the horror doesn’t suffer for it. In fact, the methodical approach to dealing with the dybbuk in The Unborn might just make it one of the most practically minded exorcism films out there.