From the very first ten minutes of Other Mommy, we are immediately thrust into the terror. It’s a straightforward horror film that spends no time establishing the first act. Right from the get-go, we meet the titular Other Mommy, and the thrills and frights begin. It’s a really novel way to start a scary movie, wasting no time and going straight into the action. Director Rob Savage and screenwriter Nathan Elston (adapting Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House) get everything moving right away and it’s a wildly entertaining ride.
The story centers on seven-year-old Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark), who can tell something is not right with her mom and dad, Ursula (Jessica Chastain) and Russell (Jay Duplass). Ursula seems to be the more career-oriented parent, while Russell is the carefree, fun-loving stay-at-home dad. Luckily, or perhaps unfortunately, for Bela, she has a friend: a supernatural entity she calls Other Mommy. Other Mommy wants something from Bela; she wants permission to “be in her heart.” Within the first ten minutes of the film, the entity commits her first violent act and from then on, forcing Ursula and Russell to do whatever it takes to protect their daughter while guarding a dark secret of their own.
This film cuts away from many traditional narrative beats seen in movies involving hauntings and children. Ursula and Russell immediately believe Bela. They never question what it is that they see, nor is there a plotline where the parents refuse to believe Bela or what they see. In fact, they remain quite level-headed about it considering they just experienced a paranormal event. It feels deeply refreshing to watch a horror film where the main characters make practical, sensible decisions.
But how do you stop an entity that can shape-shift and move matter at will?
Savage, alongside cinematographer Lowell A. Meyer and editor John Cutler, manipulates the mise-en-scene and mise-en-shot so that every camera movement and every jump cut becomes a potentially frightening moment. The film is not afraid to use jump scares, but they never feel cheap or unwarranted. Other Mommy is a playful demon. Surprise is part of its strategy. For the audience, though, it keeps you firmly on the edge of your seat.
While Chastain gets top billing – playing both Ursula and the primary form of Other Mommy – she earns every bit of it. She keeps the two characters distinctly separate, but when the music turns up and you realize you are looking at Other Mommy rather than Ursula, Chastain uses her entire physicality to embody the strain required for the entity to assume this human form. As Bela says early in the film, “she’s still new” at this. Chastain uses this raw physical tension to fully show this and it is remarkable to watch.
But this film ultimately belongs to Clark. The young actress carries the movie with her delicate portrayal of childhood innocence and being overwhelmed by all that is happening. When she observes her surroundings, she knows exactly the full context of what she is seeing. We understand the entire story through her eyes. It’s an incredible performance from such a young actor and it helps ground the film and gives the audience someone truly worth rooting for.
My only issue is the usual classic American approach to horror. The protagonists feel compelled to fight back, and American exceptionalism comes into play, and it undercuts the fear that is established. It is such an American response that if something is in your way, you have to get rid of it – kill it, even – regardless of what it is. Having watched plenty of Asian horror, where characters simply focus on surviving, Americans have to fight back, and it comes off as arrogant. At the same time, as good as the CGI can be, the overuse of it takes us away from the fear. Fortunately, Cutler is good at keeping the visuals very brief, cutting away quickly before the audience can linger on the CGI effects. Still, by the second half, some of the initial magic established at the beginning is gone.
There is a lot to enjoy in Other Mommy, and it will get the crowd screaming in fright. While it grows a little bit corny by the end, the film delivers enough suspense and thrills to make it well worth the price of the ticket.
My Rating: 4 Stars
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