Horror films are designed to make us uncomfortable. They make us scared, grossed out, and leave us shocked by their content. A lot of them feel dangerously close to reality, showcasing events that have or could happen in our world. Womb features a crime that is shockingly on the rise – fetal abduction.

After the cold open and before the title card bursts onto the screen, text appears stating “The first documented case of fetal abduction in the United States occurred in 1974…..sadly, the nightmare still continues.” Though fetal abduction has been deemed a ‘rare crime', the cases have been on the rise over the past few decades, with more reported cases than ever before.

Hailey (Taylor Hanks) is a recovering drug addict who is expecting her first child. She and her boyfriend Raymond (Myles Clohessy) venture to a remote cabin to meet his sister Martha (Ellen Adair) for the first time. However, they soon encounter a figure dressed in camouflage, who is obsessed with abducting Hailey's full-term fetus.

Womb is a competently constructed horror tale with some good elements, but it largely feels lacking. The premise is horrific, and the fact that this is a crime on the rise in the real world is alarming, but the film ends up being quite disappointing and feels as if the potential has floundered.

For the majority of the film's runtime, Hailey is trapped in the cabin as the archetypal final girl, fighting for her life and that of her unborn child. The setting is creepy, the cabin is no doubt a dump, with disgusting toilets and boarded-up windows. A clear death trap if there ever was one. It felt like there was more that could be done with the setting as the film essentially takes place in this one location. To justify this, we need to feel familiar and engrossed in the place, as if we are involved with this narrative. This never materialises, and there are spaces that aren't explored and we are just told that they are nasty.

The script feels quite repetitive in the second act with many of the sequences being very similar and lacking tension. It all played out quite obviously and it became tiring very quickly. There was definitely good material here for a short film; just not enough fleshed out to serve as a feature film.

One of the hallmarks of a horror film is a distinct and memorable killer. In Womb, the fetal abductor is neither of these things. Dressed head to toe in camouflage with goggles concealing the eyes, there's nothing menacing about their appearance. When their identity is revealed, it's an expected revelation.

Though the film is by no means perfect, Womb is still a chilling and disturbing watch. It's competently directed and has a good lead performance from Taylor Hanks. Unfortunately, its downfall is a lack of content and a forgettable killer leave it feeling like a bit of a disappointment.

Womb is available on digital platforms from April 28