Set in 1972, Baby Fever tells the story of an aspiring Prom Queen who gets a rude awakening when she finds out she’s pregnant. Then another one when her pregnancy goes into dark unanticipated territory. Directed by Hannah May Cumming, she uses a richly vibrant striking colour scheme going the film life as the scenery pops in the background. She also has a keen eye for lighting and shadows. Every scene is meticulously lit with such specifications it’s fun to look at because it’s so good at recreating the 70s. Never once did I doubt which time it takes place. Various camera movements are also implemented like rotations, pans, and tracking shots giving the film high energy.

Written by Hannah May Cumming and Alex Hartwig, Baby Fever starts strong with unexpected social commentary before going off the rails in both good and bad ways. The pacing is super fast and the story structure follows a standard three-act form of a half-hour television series. There’s a distinct beginning, middle, and ending. That’s impressive for a short film because most feel like a specific scene that could be the introduction to a full-length feature film. It’s structurally sound in that regard. It’s full of gross-out, gruesome body horror too. I’m not a fan of these films. Despite the twenty-five-minute runtime, I found it hard to sit through. This isn’t for the squeamish. Helena Berens is Donna, a cutthroat popular girl who will do anything to be Prom Queen. She’s magnificent in the role. She displays vulnerability, strength, fear, and glee seamlessly. She’s a great casting choice.

Overall, Baby Fever is a high-energy body horror short film is full of angst set in a wide colourful spectrum in the backdrop. The body horror is as extreme as it gets. It’s full of buckets of blood, vomit, and any other bodily fluid you can imagine. While I don’t enjoy these films I recognize there’s an audience that does. I acknowledge Cronenberg is a horror icon but I’m not a big fan of his work. Body horror isn’t something I seek out personally, much like possession films, but to each their own. Baby Fever covers themes of reproductive rights, female anatomy, teen pregnancy, miscarriages, female empowerment, and feminism. The problem is the ideas are mentioned but not fully explored so all the conversations feel superfluous. Perhaps a few more drafts of the script could have added meaningful conversations with substance to give ideas better context. I do recommend this for body horror fans. It’s just not for me.