Beware of the Midwife (2021 Lifetime)
Cast: Mouna Traoré, Michael Xavier, Tanya Clarke, Raven Dauda, Jason Faulkner
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
With doubts of delivering their first child in the hospital, Sarah and Kevin decide to hire a midwife to give birth safely in their own home. But their worst nightmare occurs when their midwife, Rose, conceives a different plan and kidnaps their newborn to have a grandchild of her own. Now Sarah and Kevin must find Rose, and most importantly their baby. Mouna Traor , Raven Dauda, Michael Xavier star. (2021)
Thoughts
The movie begins with a woman in disguise sneaking into a hospital. In the lobby, she runs into Sarah and Kevin, who are on their way to Dr. Daveroux’s office. Sarah shares that she is considering a natural home birth because her sister, Dani, recently had a good experience. She is also is hesitant to have the baby in the hospital because her cousin died in childbirth.
After a baby is almost stolen from the hospital (By the woman in disguise.) Sarah doubles down on her new birthing plan. Sarah finds a midwife online and meets with her. The woman’s name is Rose. She shares that suffered a miscarriage and affirms Sarah’s concerns. (So far, this move has been awesome at depicting the Black experience dealing with doctors in a racially bias system.) Sarah leaves the meeting feeling positive about her decision, even if Kevin isn’t on board.
Behind closed doors, Rose is a totally different person. She scolds her daughter/assistant angrily. Rose was the woman stealing the baby, for her daughter.
At the home visit, Rose is shady AF. Specifically to Kevin. She lays out her ground rules, and Sarah seems pleased. Kevin does not. Kevin is a great husband and rushes to the store to get all of the items on Rose’s midwife’s diet list. (Especially the Kale.)
Sarah does baby yoga, meets with her doctor (who isn’t supportive of the midwife.), and is stalked by Rose from the bushes the whole time.
The diet of kale is not sitting right with Sarah. She vomits in the sink and generally seems worse off than when she started with the midwife. Sarah goes into labor and experiences severe bleeding. Kevin thinks they should go to the hospital, but Rose and Anne claim to have things under control. Kevin calls the doctor anyway and is surprised to come back to her wife delivering the baby. Anna and Rose watch as Kevin and Sarah welcome their new baby Mary to the world.
Dani comes to visit, and Rose demands that she leave for sanitary reasons. With the baby birthed, what could possibly happen for the rest of the movie? Rose and Anne pretty much leave the same night the baby is born.
Oh, good, a baby-raising montage!
Next, Rose shows up for a post-birth visit and has MANY opinions about how Sarah and Kevin are raising the baby. Rose even offers to help take care of the baby and take Mary home for the night, which is weird. The next day Rose comes over unannounced, and Sarah realizes she needs to fire Rose. Rose overhears the conversation and steals a set of house keys. It is the time change the locks and lock this woman out of the house.
Rose puts on her best Lifetime “I’m an intruder” ensemble, chloroforms the parents while they sleep, and steals the baby. Anne is horrified at what her mother has done. Rose slaps the shit out of her and forces her to go along with her plan.
The following day Sarah wakes up and mildly cares that her baby is missing. They call the police. Who finds the chloroform and rag in Kevin’s car. They take him into custody, leaving Sarah home alone.
With no one left you to turn to, Sarah calls Rose to keep her company. Rose takes the opportunity to return the house keys she stole and see what the police know. Sarah notices Rose knows too much about and sees that the missing keys have returned. She kicks Rose out of the house. Instead of going to the police, she goes to the doctor instead of the police with the information she has learned. IDK why.
Rose packs her bag, ties up Anne, and runs off with the baby. Anne manages to get herself untied from the pillar and calls Sarah to warn her about Rose.
Kevin and Sarah rush to save their baby. They find Rose at a bus station. Rose takes Kevin out with a tire iron while Sarah runs around the bus terminal. Rose pulls a gun on Sarah and screams that the “baby is mine.” Mary cries and distracts Rose long enough for Sarah to wrestle with Rose and knock her out with her gun.
It is Mary’s first birthday, and everyone is happy now. The end!
Side Note
Minority Report: Sarah, Kevin, Rose, Anne, Dani, Mary
On my initial watch and review, I enjoyed the movie as a Lifetime thriller featuring Black actors in leading roles. However, I’ve come to understand the depictions in this movie are harmful and problematic. Read why here.
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Overall rating
🔪🔪🔪 (3 Knives, added one for some new Lifetime talent!)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2021 Lifetime® | A+E Networks®
