The Baby (film)

The Baby is a 1973 American psychological horror film directed by Ted Post and starring Anjanette Comer, Ruth Roman, and Marianna Hill. The film centers on Ann Gentry (Comer), a social worker assigned to the case of "Baby" (David Mooney), a man in his twenties who has been raised as an infant by his eccentric and disturbed family, the Wadsworths.

The Wadsworth family, consisting of domineering mother Mrs. Wadsworth (Roman) and her two daughters, Germaine (Hill) and Alba (Suzanne Zenor), are fiercely protective of Baby and resistant to Ann's intervention. Ann becomes increasingly concerned about Baby's well-being and believes he is being exploited. She attempts to rehabilitate him and integrate him into society, facing resistance and increasingly bizarre and dangerous behavior from the Wadsworths.

The film explores themes of child abuse, codependency, family dysfunction, and the psychological impact of extreme isolation. Its unsettling premise and disturbing visuals have garnered it a cult following and reputation as a unique and unsettling entry in the horror genre. While commercially unsuccessful upon its initial release, The Baby has been re-evaluated over the years and is now considered a notable, albeit controversial, exploitation film.