Horror Cult Classic

A social worker meets a family whose 21-year-old 'baby' never grew up—diapers and all.

THE BABY

What goes on in this nursery isn't for kids!

1973 · 01:24:00 · PG · Horror / Thriller · IMDB TMDB

A social worker, still reeling from the loss of her architect husband, investigates the eccentric, psychedelic Wadsworth Family, consisting of a mother, two daughters, and an adult son with the apparent mental capacity of an infant.

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Quick Answer

What is The Baby about?

The Baby is a 1973 American horror-thriller film directed by Ted Post about a social worker investigating the bizarre Wadsworth family, whose adult son still behaves—and is treated—like an infant.

Key Facts

Director: Ted Post
Writer: Abe Polsky
Release: 1973
Runtime: 1h 24m
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Genres: Horror, Thriller

The SassyFlix Take

If you've ever wondered what would happen if Mommy Dearest raised a 21-year-old in diapers, The Baby has you covered. Ted Post's offbeat horror-thriller serves up domestic dysfunction with a straight face, making its twisted premise all the more unsettling.

From the Vault

Proof that some family secrets should really stay in the nursery.

Why Cult

Adult Infant Premise

The film centers on a 21-year-old man kept in diapers and treated like a baby by his family—an audacious concept even for 1970s horror.

Psychedelic Family Dynamics

The Wadsworths are an eccentric, psychedelic clan whose boundaries with reality—and each other—are as warped as their home décor.

Female-Led Cast

Anjanette Comer, Ruth Roman, and Marianna Hill headline as women entangled in a web of control, loss, and denial.

About This Film

A social worker who recently lost her husband investigates the strange Wadsworth family. The Wadsworths might not seem too unusual to hear about them at first - consisting of the mother, two grown daughters and the diaper-clad, bottle-sucking baby. The problem is, the baby is twenty-one years old.