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Baby Ruby

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Baby Ruby
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBess Wohl
Written byBess Wohl
Produced by
  • Alex Saks
  • Lauren Beveridge
  • Brett Beveridge
  • Jeffrey Penman
Starring
CinematographyJuan Pablo Ramírez
Edited byJin Lee
Music byErik Friedlander
Production
companies
Distributed byMagnet Releasing
Release dates
  • September 9, 2022 (2022-09-09) (TIFF)
  • February 3, 2023 (2023-02-03) (United States)
Running time
90 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$16,991[2][3]

Baby Ruby is a 2022 American psychological horror-thriller film[4] written and directed by Bess Wohl, in her directorial debut. It stars Noémie Merlant, Kit Harington, and Meredith Hagner.

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022. It was released on February 3, 2023, by Magnet Releasing.

Plot

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Jo (Noémie Merlant) is a lifestyle influencer. Her relationship with Spencer (Kit Harington) strengthens as they wait for the couple's first baby, named Ruby. After the birth of Ruby, Jo's successful world begins to fall apart as she suffers postpartum depression. Jo begins to behave aggressively and doubtfully, although she receives support from Shelly (Meredith Hagner), a neighbor who claims to be a mother even though she refuses to show her supposed baby to others. Jo becomes suspicious of the intentions of Shelly and everyone around her as she tries to protect her baby, who is also seen by Jo as someone hostile.[5]

Cast

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Release

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The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022.[6] Shortly after, Magnet Releasing acquired US distribution rights to the film.[7] It was released on February 3, 2023.[8]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "A flawed but finely cut gem, Baby Ruby puts the horror of new parenthood under a frighteningly effective magnifying glass."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 57 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[10]

In a review for San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Strauss wrote: "Playwright Bess Wohl’s feature-directing debut is a sly, mutant meld of horror thriller, feminist satire and subjective, postpartum paranoia study. It’s serious about how the demands of baby care can overwhelm, and skeptical of societal pressures on women to not just accept but love motherhood’s burdens."[11] Guy Lodge of Variety called the portrayal of mental breakdown after a traumatic childbirth "evocative and appropriately aggravating", and cited Merlant's portrayal of "agonized internal plight" as a factor in keeping the audience "emotionally rooted" in the film.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Baby Ruby (15)". British Board of Film Classification. August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  2. ^ "Baby Ruby (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  3. ^ "Baby Ruby (2023)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  4. ^ Davids, Brian (February 8, 2023). "How 'Baby Ruby' Turned Motherhood Into a Psychological Horror-Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "Baby Ruby". rogerebert.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (August 4, 2022). "TIFF Unveils Midnight, Discovery, and Wavelengths Lineups, from 'The Al Yankovic Story' to Ti West's 'Pearl'". IndieWire. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  7. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Wiseman, Andreas (September 29, 2022). "Noémie Merlant-Kit Harington TIFF Thriller 'Baby Ruby' Lands U.S. Deal With Magnolia's Genre Arm Magnet". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Squires, John (January 11, 2023). "Baby Ruby Trailer – Magnet Horror Movie Delivers a Bundle of Nightmares in February". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "Baby Ruby". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "Baby Ruby". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  11. ^ Strauss, Bob. "Review: Motherhood anxieties turn into horror satire in 'Baby Ruby'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  12. ^ Lodge, Guy (February 2, 2023). "'Baby Ruby' Review: The Strains of Postpartum Depression Take a Shivery Turn in a Fevered Psychodrama". Variety. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
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