Over the years, the media has peddled some pretty weird love stories, but then there’s Womb — a movie that takes devotion to the most unsettling level. Picture this. A woman loses the love of her life and then decides to bring them back in the most ethically slimy way possible. That’s exactly what Eva Green’s Rebecca does after her childhood sweetheart, Thomas (Matt Smith), suddenly dies. But here’s where things take a turn for the grotesque — she doesn’t just grieve him or buy a Ouija board, she ends up cloning him, carrying him to term and raising him as her son. If that doesn’t already sound like an ethical and psychological minefield, there’s more.
Womb isn’t yet another sci-fi spectacle about cloning gone wrong. It’s an introspective look into the effects of grief, obsession, and this thing we call identity. All in all, Rebecca isn’t a mad scientist trying to change the course of humanity. She’s simply a woman who’s not ready to let go of her love even though that means she’ll have to venture into some deeply uncomfortable territory. As Thomas grows up, the line between motherly love and something else starts to blur in ways that are not only weird but highly disconcerting. The entire film has a silent, uneasy feeling about it that’s fueled by Smith and Green’s compelling performances. Whether you find it romantic or deeply disturbing depends on how much you’re willing to overlook in the name of love.
‘Womb’ Pushes the Boundaries of Love in the Strangest Way Possible
Love that literally lasts a lifetime sounds romantic, it’s one of those things that most people yearn for. That’s right, until Womb takes that idea and turns it into something that doesn’t quite translate well. As mentioned earlier, when Rebecca loses her childhood love, Thomas, in a tragic accident, she decides to take a path that had probably never been traveled. The plan is to bring him back, which sounds like something anyone would do if they knew how to. Except, she’s not thinking about things in a symbolic, “keeping his memory alive” way — she literally clones him and gives birth to him. The film delves into how she raises her soulmate from scratch, which is somehow both heartbreakingly sad and skin-crawling.
Perhaps one of the most uncomfortable things about Womb is how it plays this situation completely straight. There’s no point in time where Rebecca has to face the horror of what she’s done. The film simply paints the eerie story of a woman raising a child who looks exactly like the man she once loved. Watching her balance the responsibilities of motherhood with the knowledge of who he used to be is just as weird as it sounds. It’s the little things, like how she watches him sleep or her reaction when he starts dating, that make it crystal clear that she still believes he’s the Thomas she lost. At some point, the grown-up Thomas senses that there’s something off about their relationship, but then it’s too late to expect a normal reaction. Womb takes the phrase “I’ll love you forever” to a whole new level, and it’s not the kind of love story you’d want to be a part of.
Tommy’s Childhood and Teenage Years in ‘Womb’ Make the Story Even Creepier
If Womb makes one thing evident, it’s that there are different levels of discomfort, and the film is lodged right up there with the likes of Happiness, Tusk, and Mother. Throughout its 107 minutes, it doesn’t stop at asking the question, “What if you cloned your dead boyfriend and raised him as your son?” It equally takes its sweet time answering it so that viewers are stuck pondering on the dynamics for quite some time. When the film first starts, it’s easy to see Rebecca’s decision as tragic but understandable. After all, she’s grieving, and in her mind, bringing Tommy back is nothing but an act of love. But as Tommy grows up, the reality of the situation begins to reveal itself, and that’s when things get pretty dicey. The film makes no attempt to rush through Tommy’s childhood, so viewers get to watch him go from an innocent, playful kid to an awkward teenager. All the while, he’s been oblivious to the reason why he exists. To him, the close bond he shares with Rebecca is nothing but natural — he cuddles up to her, seeks her affection, and is drawn to her in ways that would be normal for a son.
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But that’s the thing, he’s not her son, and once you remember that, things begin to feel off. As much as the audience struggles with this knowledge, so does Rebecca because she eventually has to admit that something is wrong, however, she won’t and can’t stop it. Let’s take the moment Tommy gets a girlfriend, it should come as a relief since it’s proof that he’s coming into his own. But it only makes things worse, bringing out Rebecca’s jealous side. It would make anyone question whether she’s simply being a protective mother. By the time the film peaks, the weight of Tommy’s entire life makes the film’s themes of grief and love feel even weirder. Ultimately, Womb challenges the very essence of love and identity, leaving you with an unsettling sense of discomfort that won’t easily fade.
Womb
- Release Date
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July 15, 2010
- Runtime
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111 minutes
- Director
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Benedek Fliegauf
