Described by writer-director Bess Wohl as “the story of a woman who becomes a mother for the first time and finds herself plunged into a terrifying new world where everything — and everyone — could be a danger and she can no longer trust her own reality,” “Baby Ruby” sees “Tar” supporting actress Noémie Merlant taking center stage. A newly released trailer for the pic illustrates just how naive Jo (Merlant), a pregnant lifestyle entrepreneur, is about what’s to come after she gives birth. “Nothing’s going to be any different,” she says. “It’s just a baby. How big are they, even?”
Taking care of her baby proves to be considerably more difficult than Jo ever imagined. Desperate and sleep deprived, she asks picture-perfect moms for advice. “Trust your instincts,” they tell her. But Ruth’s instincts are telling her that her infant daughter is killing her.
“Much of my work emerges from a tiny personal spark that I can then push to extremes. Becoming a parent was a deeply transformative experience for me – as it is for many,” Wohl told us. “I quickly realized that I hadn’t seen a lot of movies that really portrayed the complexities of this transformation, even the parts that are dangerous, taboo, and scary to talk about. I wanted to find a way to say the things that are rarely said, and to make space for both beauty and terror. It’s still sadly rare to see a story about a female character that portrays her in her full humanity,” she emphasized. I hope that someday treating women as full human beings won’t feel like such a radical act.”
“Baby Ruby” hits select theaters and VOD February 3. Check out the trailer to see Ruth and her partner (Kit Harington, “Game of Thrones”) navigating life as new parents.
