James R | On 22, Jan 2021

Director: Curtis Vowell
Cast: Rose Matafeo, Matthew Lewis
Certificate: 15
Watch Baby Done online in the UK: Sky Cinema / NOW / Apple TV (iTunes) / Prime Video (Buy/Rent) / Virgin Movies / Rakuten TV / Google Play / Sky Store

“I don’t want to not have a baby.” That’s the sound of Zoe (Rose Matafeo) and Tim (Matthew Lewis) getting ready to have a child in the wonderfully entertaining romantic comedy Baby Done.

The film, which hails from the writer (Sophie Henderson) and director (Curtis Vowell) of 2013’s Fantail, continues a promising run of new Kiwi comedy, following The Breaker Upperers, What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. It introduces us to Zoe, an adventurer and professional tree-climber, and Tim, her long-term boyfriend. While she freaks out at the notion of becoming a mother, he embraces the idea – and the comedy, and drama, stems from those contrasting reactions.

Matafeo, who has appeared in everything from Taskmaster to W1A, is hysterical as the young-at-heart arborist, bringing an irrepressible upbeat spirit to the screen, even as she throws herself into denial with abandon. Lewis, meanwhile, delivers the kind of charismatic leading man performance that puts Harry Potter far behind him, balancing impatience, frustration and nervousness with a kind, loyal streak. Together, they are simply an extremely convincing couple, and Curtis Vowell lets their chemistry shine without any distractions.

Henderson’s script, meanwhile, gently teases and twists their relationship with nuance and wit, exploring that strange limbo of fear and excitement at the notion of something new beginning but also certain aspects of their lives irreversibly changing. “You’ll never be alone again,” Zoe is told in a way that’s meant to be comforting but is also mildly unnerving. The stakes are kept entirely on that level, which is just what’s needed; the small moments feel big and the big life changes are captures in small, beautifully performed details. One moment involving a confetti canon is laugh-out-loud funny, while a date with a “pregaphile” is one of the most unusual and inspired set pieces you’ve seen in a romantic comedy in recent memory. To call a film about the prospect of parenthood a romantic comedy might seem reductive, but that’s precisely what Baby Done is: a comedy that bursts with a sweet, charming heart. You won’t want to not see it.

Baby Done is available on Sky Cinema. Don’t have Sky? You can also stream it on NOW, as part of an £11.99 NOW Cinema Membership subscription. For the latest Sky TV packages and prices, click the button below.

 

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