Dead Babies

Watch Dead Babies

  • R
  • 2000
  • 1 hr 41 min
  • 4.6  (851)

Dead Babies is a 2000 British thriller film directed by William Marsh, based on the novel by Martin Amis. The movie revolves around a group of wealthy, bored and drug-addled young people and their hedonistic lifestyle in a sprawling mansion in the English countryside. We are introduced to a group of six wealthy and superficial friends: Quentin, Dickie, Moss, Xanthe, Suzanne, and Keith. They are portrayed as a class of debased and self-indulgent people, living their lives ruled by drugs, sex, and debauchery. All of them belong to affluent and well-connected families, and they seem to have everything they could possibly need, or desire.

The film takes place over the Christmas holiday season, as the group decides to have one last extravagant party before the end of the year. However, things quickly take a dark turn when one of their group members - Quentin - suddenly dies in the middle of the party. Despite trying to revive him, they are unable to do so and are left with a body in their house. And thus, they decide to continue their debauchery and hold their planned house party as planned.

Throughout the course of the night, the group begins to deteriorate, as they become increasingly paranoid and delusional, fuelled by heavy drug and alcohol use. A series of strange and disturbing events occur, and the pressure intensifies, with the group becoming more and more paranoid about the police or Quentin's family finding out about their involvement in his death. As the party descends further into chaos, relationships unravel, secrets are revealed, and the friends' twisted realities are exposed.

The story of Dead Babies is an exploration of the excesses and delusions of the privileged class. The movie works as a dark and twisted portrayal of a society whose only escape seems to be through drug addiction, sex, and violence. It's a scathing critique of the class system, exposing its flaws and drawing attention to the sense of entitlement and apathy it inspires in its most privileged members.

The cast is led by Paul Bettany, who plays the charismatic and disturbed Quentin. Bettany delivers a stunning portrayal of a man descending into madness, and his performance is both captivating and unsettling. He is supported by a talented ensemble cast, including Katy Carmichael, Hayley Carr, and Charlie Condou. The actors work well together, convincingly depicting the effortless camaraderie and intrigue of the group, which slowly devolves into a toxic and dangerous space.

The film's cinematography is impressive and creates a constant sense of unease, conveying the warped reality of the story's events. Marsh makes use of high-contrast lighting and stark visuals to create a sense of dread, while Gareth Jones's dissonant score heightens the film's disturbing tone. Dead Babies is a movie that immerses the audience in its dark and twisted world, leaving them feeling both horrified and fascinated by the spectacle.

In conclusion, Dead Babies is a difficult and challenging movie that is uncompromising in its portrayal of a society that is ripe with entitlement and self-indulgence. It is an intelligent and thought-provoking film that exposes the hypocrisies of the wealthy elite, delivering an unnerving and unsettling exploration of morality, ethics, and the human psyche. If you are looking for a movie that is both disturbing and thought-provoking, then Dead Babies is well worth investing your time in.

Dead Babies
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Description
  • Release Date
    2000
  • MPAA Rating
    R
  • Runtime
    1 hr 41 min
  • Language
    English
  • IMDB Rating
    4.6  (851)