A Home Birth Goes Wrong in Intimate Supernatural Horror Goody Goody (OVERLOOK)

Title: Goody Goody

First Non-Festival Release: TBD

Director: Raymond Creamer

Writer: Raymond Creamer

Runtime: 80 Minutes

Starring: TBD

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Overlook Film Festival in 2026.

Pregnancy is one of the most dangerous things a person can do in their life. Yes, for many excited to be parents the joys of raising a child can be a powerful motivator to risk something so deadly. The statistics don’t lie. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that maternal mortality rates are on the rise in the United States. A disturbing, and relevant, fact to Shudder’s latest supernatural thriller.

Always the risk-taker, Goody (Samantha Robinson) is hell-bent on doing her home birth at her cozy cabin in the woods. Her reluctant midwife Sarah (Colleen Foy) tries to talk her out of it but relents due to Goody’s headstrong nature. Her husband Jayson (Colby Hollman) is supportive, along with his sister Candace (Zoë Renee), even if they harbor hidden concerns about the possibility of something going wrong. The evening of the birth a raging storm rains down snow making any journey to the hospital fraught with difficulties. When the first sign of trouble appears, the group is trapped with a sinister presence intent on making the birth go off without a hitch, but with no promises of letting them all out alive.

A solid psychological horror, Goody Goody delivers supernatural scares with an interesting twist on tired subgenres.

Dripping with atmosphere and tension, Goody Goody takes a methodical approach to its story introducing the horror right as Goody’s labor starts to go wrong. Eschewing the typical trappings of the subgenre by stretching out the paranormal happenings over the course of multiple days, or in this case weeks or months, Goody Goody allows the horror to hit at its best possible moments. Slick, sweeping camerawork allows the presence to be omnipresent and forceful. It elevates the scares and gives the film a decidedly creepy atmosphere throughout its relatively lean runtime.

At the core to its story, Goody Goody thrives on its intimate setting and character dynamics. One of the most refreshing elements of Goody Goody is the general chemistry amongst the cast. Each character feels fleshed out but, even more critically, feel important to each other’s stories. There’s weight in the words said to each other and the actions they take to protect one another.

There are plenty of interactions to mine from here but the central push - pull of the film comes from Goody and Sarah. Their clashes portend greater friction in the evening but it’s how they converse that is fascinating. There’s a clear level of respect and care for each other but also an ever-present hint of distrust. Both are able to work a room to their advantage, and both are driven by strong urges to do what they believe is right. It’s just that both have very different ideas on what that is making the delivery a unique process compared to most pregnancy horrors.

Moments of lightness add to the horror, not take away from it. Despite the general unease from the gradually escalating problems of the evening, little moments pepper the narrative that show so much through so little. Monologues about the strength of mothers, dance break distractions, and an almost nauseating overuse of the word “mama.” It makes for both richer characterization but also allows the horror to seep in more naturally.

Solid indie filmmaking only goes so far as Goody Goody never quite crescendos the way it needs. Taking on a more ambiguous ending, the lack of clarity makes much of the earlier efforts feel empty. Without finality or catharsis, Goody Goody skates by on its technical prowess. Everything looks and sounds polished. The scares are often constructed in ways that give it an ephemeral feeling, never quite sticking long enough to make a true impact.

Self-contained and simple, Goody Goody strips its pregnancy horror story down to the basics making something different and fun. Solid performances and production values boosts the simple yet effective script. It isn’t winning any awards, but it is a promising debut from Raymond Creamer.

Overall Score? 6/10