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OTHER MOMMY is the new Blumhouse/Atomic Monster produced horror film directed by Rob Savage (HOST, DASHCAM, THE BOOGEYMAN) based on the 2024 novel INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE by Josh Malerman. Horror movies that focus on dysfunctional families being haunted by a supernatural entity are an oversaturated subgenre at this point. They rarely get elevated above the confines of your typical "We're broke, we can't leave this house." or the parents and older siblings don't believe the younger children that their "imaginary" friend is the one causing all the conflict around the house type of tropes we're all so exhausted by with this type of story so color me a bit relieved to find out this movie sidesteps the most annoying aspect of these family ghost haunting stories and jumps right into the parents seeing this entity and believing their child at about fifteen or so minutes into the film and kinda runs with it at a steady tense pace that doesn't feel like it lets up until the very end.

This movie wasn't ever going to be some prestigious horror film that elevates the genre but it it pretty ridiculous to see the overly harsh critical response to this movie bashing this relentlessly online like some sort of Uwe Boll or Tommy Wiseau directed film. It currently sits at a pitiful 16% critically and 48% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes website. While the negative critic score can be partially contributed to the fact that this wasn't screened early (usually not a good sign of quality) for critics souring them on positive word of mouth after it still doesn't account for everyone else seemingly dunking on this thing like it's one of the worst movies of the year. It's always funny being on the opposite side of what the grand consensus of a movie is because you feel like you're going crazy while everyone else seems to be overreacting to join an insulated echo chamber to feel like they are a part of something. That's not to say I'm going to defend this movie like it's deserving of it or it's some misunderstood horror masterpiece because it certainly isn't. What you get out of this movie is what most horror movies end up being - a flawed horror movie that, much like the creature in this film, haphazardly tries to copy from other movies in the genre taking a little bit of this and a little bit of that trying to fit in with the others and the end result is a fairly generic jump-scare filled silly horror movie that is perfectly suitable for a weekend watch with a easily scared family member, friends, or your partner shoveling popcorn into your mouths trying not to spill it with every loud jolt this movie throws at you.

Some have complained about the overuse of CGI involving this supernatural creature, claiming it looked too silly, too elongated, and rubbery, but for me personally, I thought it worked given the otherworldly nature of this thing having the ability to change into other people and teleport among other various tricks it can execute. It struggles to fit into human form, fitting itself in different rooms, attempting to hide, and stretching itself out.

Speaking of the "Other Mommy" monster, there is a frustrating element to this film I wish the script retooled and that is the parents and people that try to help them seemingly have no real ways/tools to try and combat this thing. They are essentially up against a cosmic being capable of making you blip out of existence into a bloody mist, transport you or objects anywhere it chooses, blink in and out of our and its dimension within a second, copies human forms for short periods of time among whatever else it could conjure up so where do you go from there? How could your protagonists ever hope to win against this Doctor Strange level villain? Well, in this film, all you really get is regular people making stupid decisions while running away going from place to place awkwardly trying to avoid this threat like a generational curse. So, while the jump-scares can periodically get you, the tension gets cranked up with each scene. There's always that undefeatable fact gnawing at the back of your brain while watching this. The writers should have come up with a way for the characters to have a proper mission to set them on a path so can get behind them more because without that this whole is just the family seemingly going in circles running away from this threat with no real plan of action. They don't know what to do, so you're left feeling like the movie has nowhere else to really go but in circles trying to find a third-act and eventually stumbling into one.

Adding to the script issues, I'd also point out that the concept of this movie of a shape-shifting supernatural being doesn't utilize the premise as effectively as you'd think. There should have been scenes where this thing tries to copy people in the family's lives as a way to get closer to its sinister objective, maybe lowering its powers/abilities and making it rely on more human environments and interactions as a way to try to accomplish its goals. Could have added to the tension and jump-scares never really knowing who's "Other Mommy" or when they'll pop out to attack.

Some would have you believe actor Jessica Chastain is slumming it here in a movie like this, but I'd argue that most of her filmography is a spotty mess of more misses than hits so what's a silly horror movie to add to the pile.
Jessica Chastain discovered the physical expression for "Other Mommy" by practicing in a mirror, finding an unblinking smile that caused tears to stream down her face simultaneously, creating an unsettling contrast between warmth and menace. She pulls off that creepy presence quite well in this throughout, never really sure if she's the real mommy or imposter.

Standout performance here is the young daughter played by Arabella Olivia Clark in her sophomore role here, the other being the disappointing remake of THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE Hulu came out with last year.

Review continued under comment