The Baby
The Baby
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The Baby

"A little terror."

6.1
Yr 2022
Rt 30m
Status Ended
Comedy Mystery
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

When 38 year-old Natasha is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants, when she wants, dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha's life into a horror show. Where does it come from? What does it want? And what lengths will Natasha have to go to in order to get her life back?

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 68 /100

HBO's horror-comedy limited series The Baby received a generally mixed-to-positive reception from critics, who appreciated its subversive central metaphor. Reviewers praised how the series uses a literal killer infant to mirror the loss of autonomy, existential dread, and societal pressures tied to unwanted motherhood and familial expectations.

“a funny, nightmarish twist on parenthood and familial trauma.”

“consistently scores points off the realities and truisms of motherhood.”

“A killer premise with confusing execution”

“a comedy/horror series that’s quizzically lacking laughs or scares.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

HBO Max Amazon Channel
US
HBO Max
US
Sky Go
UK
Show 1 more
Now TV
UK
Why fans love it

The Baby pivots away from typical tropes by treating an infant not as a source of warmth, but as a supernatural antagonist. By framing a child as an invasive, violent presence, the series shifts the expectation of maternal instincts into a dark comedy about the loss of personal autonomy. Natasha, played by Michelle de Swarte, finds that her life is dismantled by a force that is as manipulative as it is uncontrollable.

This horror-inflected mystery turns the domestic sphere into a site of psychological warfare. The tension between the survival of a grown woman and the inexplicable demands of a creature with lethal powers creates a specific, jarring experience. It is a cynical take on the sudden arrival of responsibility, highlighting just how fast an orderly life can turn chaotic when the intruder refuses to be ignored or bargained with.

Production Board

Crew

Consulting Producer
Bisha K. Ali
Writer
Susan Soon He Stanton Kara Smith Anchuli Felicia King Sian Robins-Grace Sophie Goodhart
Director
Nicole Kassell Faraz Shariat Stacey Gregg
Executive Producer
Carolyn Strauss Jane Featherstone Sian Robins-Grace Naomi de Pear Katie Carpenter
Director of Photography
Kate Reid
Creator
Sian Robins-Grace Lucy Gaymer
Cinematography
Ben Wheeler
Sound Mixer
Keith Branch
Producer
Lucy Gaymer
Co-Executive Producer
Katie Carpenter
Original Music Composer
Lucrecia Dalt
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Baby overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

baby horror
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
April 24, 2022
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
30 minutes
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
85