22/01/2026 - Seidi Haarla and Rupert Grint star as a couple whose move to an isolated childhood home triggers a descent into paranoia

Seidi Haarla and Rupert Grint in Nightborn (© Pietari Peltola)

The Berlinale (12-22 February) has unveiled Nightborn as one of its competition titles for the upcoming edition (see the news), where the movie will celebrate its world premiere. The pic marks the return of Finnish filmmaker Hanna Bergholm, whose debut, Hatching [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hanna Bergholm
film profile] (2022), which premiered at Sundance and was toplined by Siiri Solalinna, proved she was a distinctive new voice in contemporary genre cinema.

Starring Seidi Haarla (Compartment No. 6 [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juho Kuosmanen
film profile], Hamilton, The Swedish Torpedo [+see also:
film review
interview: Frida Kempff
film profile]) alongside Rupert Grint (the Harry Potter saga, Knock at the Cabin, Into the White), Nightborn is a Finnish-Lithuanian-French-UK co-production blending horror and psychological thriller in a visceral dark fable about motherhood and unconditional maternal love.

The plot follows Saga (Haarla) and her British husband Jon (Grint), who relocate to the isolated house where Saga spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish forest, driven by the dream of starting a perfect family. After the birth of their child, however, Saga becomes convinced that something is terribly wrong – a fear dismissed by everyone around her. As the couple’s relationship begins to fracture, Jon increasingly fails to support his wife, while Saga alone senses the terrifying truth.

The film is being produced by Komeetta (Finland), Filmai LT (Lithuania), Getaway Films (France) and Bluelight Nightborn Limited (UK), and was shot in 2025 in both English and Finnish. Bergholm co-wrote the screenplay with Ilja Rautsi (Fleak, Hatching, Memory of Water [+see also:
trailer
film profile]). The creative team also includes cinematographer Pietari Peltola, editor Jussi Rautaniemi, composer Eicca Toppinen, production designer Kari Kankaanpää, costume designer Tiina Kaukanen and sound designer Micke Nyström.

The supporting cast includes Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey, John Thomson, Silvia Saloranta, Satu Tuuli Karhu, Amira Khalifa, Johanna Kuuva, Mari Rantasila, Helena Rängman and Klaara Höglund.

Backers include the UK Global Screen Fund, the Finnish Film Foundation, the Lithuanian Film Centre and Eurimages. World sales are jointly handled by Goodfellas and Anonymous Content.