An expectant couple’s intimate weekend turns to terror as they discover their secluded country inn is a haunted maternity home where infants and mothers were murdered.

Rae and Liam (Suzanne Clément and Allan Hawco, respectively) are on their way to a nice quiet little get-away to the Mersey Inn, a remote and quaint bed and breakfast. Rae, a true crime reporter, is taking a break from the intensity of her work, and husband Liam is looking for a place to write some groovy new songs.  They are shown to their room by Monica (Shelley Thompson), the proprietress of the inn, who also accurately/creepily guesses that Rae is pregnant.

Rae spends her time walking around the grounds, learning about the local area, and avoiding the barbed wire that marks one section as off-limits with large signs that say DO NOT PASS.  Subtle. Meanwhile, Liam is in a spare room of the inn, creating some rather bland piano music.  He starts hearing some odd noises, whispered voices, and suddenly he sees that he’s been in the room for over an hour. Hmmm. Odd.

The more Rae learns about the inn, the more frightened she becomes.  Seems that the inn used to be Mercy Unwed Mothers Home, and there are a few tiny little graves out back that point towards a more sinister history. Aaaand the owner, Monica, looks a lot like the painting of the woman who founded the place. Like, a lot.

The Child Remains is a creepy movie from Canada based on the real life tragedy of the Ideal Maternity Home in Nova Scotia and its “butterbox babies.”  Writer-director Michael Melski takes his time leading us into ever deeper and darker waters throughout the course of the movie, and he is mostly successful with some truly disturbing and suspenseful moments (plus one incredibly violent and jaw-dropping death that made me cringe).  Frankly, I wish there were more of these weird and horrible moments. Sometimes, the movie is on the verge of being too complacent, too safe and calm.

But it all ends with a happy healthy baby being delivered to Rae, heralded by rainbows and sunshine.

Heh, no, it doesn’t.

Shelley Thompson is very weird and wonderful as Monica, the owner, insinuating herself into the couple’s lives (or, at least, their extended weekend) with nefarious designs on their child.  Clement and Hawco are good (if a little bland) as the doomed couple, providing a good, real anchor to the spooky proceedings.  There are a few quibbles I have with the flick: it’s a little uneven in terms of ratcheting up the unease, and there’s a spirit that pops up and just looks a little stereotypical and cheap, but overall I thought this was worth a look. Uncle Mike sez go for it.