The cold open of “Other Mommy” introduces us to three characters and a supernatural paranormal demonic entity who we will follow for the next 90 minutes.
There’s a trail of story that is revealed scene by scene. I was hooked at the beginning and kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. A reveal. A final explanation. Something. Anything.
Nothing.
I loved “Host” and was eager to watch another film directed by Rob Savage. And I learned with “Dashcam” and “Boogeyman” that Savage’s movies won’t always be great, but he knows how to do horror. With the backing of James Wan, this should have been better.
The screenplay for “Other Mommy” was written by Nathan Elston and based off a novel by Josh Malerman. How closely the film follows the source material I don’t know. Since the script itself is part of the blame for the failings of the film, I don’t think I will be reading the book anytime soon.
The Martin family
The film starts with Bela Martin (Arabella Olivia Clark) being tucked in by her parents. Russell (Jay Duplass) is a fun-loving goofy dad. Ursula (Jessica Chastain) is a workaholic, often absent mom.
I loved the family interactions. The three actors had an excellent rapport with each other, and the foundation for wanting to see this family succeed was laid out perfectly. There were no weak links from this facet, and dozens of juicy possibilities. Sadly, none of the right roads are taken.
Minutes into the movie, Bela begins talking to someone, or something in her room. She calls it Other Mommy, and the creepiness is there.
Unusual Tone
The first scene after the credits is a chilling interaction between Bela and the entity, also played by Chastain. It’s spooky and not overblown with terrible music or needless jump scares. Other Mommy is some sort of demon who needs Bela’s permission to take over her body. Jessica Chastain does a good job of looking and acting creepy.
But not only do Russell and Ursula instantly believe Bela, they can also see Other Mommy.
And both seem not to care.
An early scene takes place at a party in the home. There’s an interaction that couldn’t be defined as anything other than supernatural, yet none of the guest’s care. This issue repeats several times throughout the film.
Once the parents decide to ditch the demon, they flee the house, hide at a friend’s place, and travel to Ursula’s mom’s house for a sort of séance.
Other Mommy leaves a trail of death and destruction in her wake that Russell and Ursula don’t mind much. At one point, Russell comforts his family saying we’re okay, no one was hurt. I laughed out loud thinking of the half-dozen people slain by the demon in their presence.
Some Cool Effects
Rob Savage knows horror. Like “Boogeyman” there are moments that really work. Some of the special effects are effective, while others go too far on the CGI.
I think the biggest issue was with the story. There’s a plethora of absurd and unrealistic actions by the characters. Overall, the story makes no sense. An unestablished set of rules governs the universe. Weapons can hurt it, I think? It can teleport but can’t get past a couch barricading a door? Ursula spits an exposition dump at the end, and even that doesn’t alleviate the confusion.
Choose an Other Movie over “Other Mommy.”
