When Natasha is unexpectedly landed with a baby to care for, the infant appears to have mysterious, violent powers and twists Natasha’s life into a horror show.

Parenting and motherhood have always been a rich source of horror, not just in ‘devil child’ movies such as Rosemary’s Baby, but also in the centuries-old changeling folk myths to be found in cultures all around the world. Western society’s angst about motherhood and parenting – where many find it hard to resolve with the demands of modern living, not to mention the changing role of women – has also been a rich source of comedy, the BBC’s highly successful Motherland being a prime example.

Enough with the sociology lecture. HBO/Sky’s new comedy is simultaneously laugh out loud funny, genuinely spooky, and dark dark dark in its use of uncompromising horror humour. Indeed, when a particularly endearing animal comes to a grisly end, Michelle de Swarte’s Natasha exclaims in a meta way to the gods of taste, ‘You can’t do that!’. But they do and I love this series for the mischievous middle finger it puts up to all sorts of TV mores and conventions.

Credit where it’s due, permission to laugh comes from the irresistible cuteness of Albie and Arthur Hills (with a little digital assistance), taking it in turns to play the eponymous infant. How can anyone begrudge such an entrancing child a few bloody murders?

Back to the sociology lecture though, what makes The Baby substantial is that the horrors it explores are so close to the fears many woman (and men) have about parenting, the ultimate one being that none of us are worthy to care for a child in the first place… and yet there is something that keeps pulling us back in, gluttons for even more punishment.

Michelle de Swarte is a droll, solid anchor to the show, never allowing her performance near any kind of sentimentality, and Amber Grappy is a delightful foil as Natasha’s warm-hearted sister, Bobbi. Amira Ghazalla is another wonderful screen presence as the enigmatic cigarette-smoking woman who may or may not hold the key to the mystery.

On the down side, apart from a few impressive set pieces, The Baby feels visually stilted at times, with a noticeable lack of camera movement. This might be down to budget, Covid, the strictures of filming with a baby (or its digital equivalent), or a simple lack of imagination. I hope it’s the first of these and if there is to be more of this show, the money will be found to give it a little more visual flair.

Also, at the series mid-point it takes an uncertain left turn into folk horror, which I felt detracted from its razor-sharp contemporary feel, but hopefully it won’t stay there for too long.

Verdict: If you don’t mind bad stuff happening to cute things in the name of comedy horror with something worthwhile to say, then The Baby is a cathartic and satisfying ride. 8/10

Martin Jameson