Women often argue that men are, essentially babies. The new psychological short Man Baby takes that notion a bit further. We meet Bert (Aaron Murtagh), a newly minted father who begins to experience a strange metamorphosis shortly after the birth of his child. Murtagh, who writes, directs, and stars in this mini-trip of a short keeps things awash in ambiguity that could leave viewers either beguiled or befuddled.

The story opens as wife Danielle (Kate Britton) is playing with her infant as it lies on its back on the living room floor. There is a strange moment where Bert observes this and the camera holds on him. It begins. Soon Bert begins to notice small changes in his own body. At first, it’s just a pinched nerve in the back. Then his wife, among others, askes him, “Are you getting shorter?”

I did enjoy Man Baby but I need more. There was the tease of delicious body horror and before I knew it, the 9 minutes were up and the credits were rolling. Man Baby is beautifully shot against the backdrop of a snowy suburbia Director of Photography Hallie Swan mimics the placid ambiguity of the story with clean white shots of winter. Murtagh does a fine job juggling his various tasks, but he stands out with his vulnerable performance of a man descending into madness… Or is he?

Man Baby is worth seeking out as a strong, potentially disturbing proof of concept. Let’s see where this interesting short goes from here.

Man Baby will be screening at the Montana International Film Festival: September 21, 2024