By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
JESSICA CHASTAIN GETS LIMBER AND LOONEY IN "OTHER MOMMY"
Academy Award-winning actress and
Sacramento, California, native Jessica Chastain ("The Eyes of Tammy Faye") has starred in some horror/supernatural and sci-fi thrillers, including 2011's "Take Shelter" and "Mama" (2013). However, her latest movie, "Other Mommy," takes things to a whole new level of wild, chilling fright.
Directed by
Rob Savage ("The Boogeyman") and written by
Nathan Elston (TV's "Succession"), "Other Mommy" is based on
Josh Malerman's 2024 bestselling novel "Incidents Around the House." The film centers on a vibrant seven-year-old girl, named Bela (a very good Arabella Olivia Clark, "The Housemaid"), whose family life becomes even more disconnected and strained when a mysterious entity with an uncanny resemblance to her mother (Chastain) begins to haunt Bela and her father, "Daddo"(Jay Duplass, "I Play Rocky."
At first blush, Bela's parents believe she may have an imaginary friend to help offset her loneliness. But no. This entity, known as "Other Mommy," has something far more sinister in mind. And when her parents try to make it leave them alone, that's when the action really jumps off.
While "Other Mommy" offers up decent jump scares--although not enough for my taste-- its biggest flaw is that we never fully understand why this demonic being has chosen to haunt and terrorize Bela and her family. The film does suggest that the creature preys on the youngster's vulnerability, exploiting her loneliness, the tension between her parents, and the emotional turmoil surrounding her home life.
Rather than simply frightening Bela, however, the entity seems intent on gaining her trust and persuading her to let it into her heart, with the ultimate goal of taking over her body. It's a deeply unsettling premise that taps into one of a parent's worst nightmares: the possibility that something evil could get close enough to a child to become part of her world.
Fortunately, Chastain gives the material everything she's got, delivering a committed, often unnerving performance that makes "Other Mommy" worth seeing. As both the concerned mother and the sinister entity, she shifts between maternal warmth and something altogether more disturbing, demonstrating just how effectively she can transform her screen presence.
When Chastain becomes increasingly limber, contorted, and crazed, the movie really gets under your skin. Her physical performance is especially creepy, making even the quieter moments feel charged with the threat of something horrible just around the corner.
Clark is equally impressive as Bela, bringing an appealing innocence and vulnerability to the role while convincingly conveying the fear of a child who cannot be certain whether the figure before her is really her mother. Their performances give the film an emotional center that helps compensate for its narrative shortcomings.
Although "Other Mommy" isn't the scariest horror movie you'll see this year, it has enough eerie atmosphere, disturbing imagery, and genuinely haunting moments to keep you wide-eyed and occasionally squirming in your seat. It does begin to lose its way as it approaches the finish line, with some increasingly over-the-top developments that nearly veer into comical territory.
Still, Rob Savage delivers a supernatural movie with enough unnerving flourishes to leave an impression, thanks to Chastain's fearless dual performance and Clark's strong work as the frightened young girl at the center of this crazy nightmare.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"OTHER MOMMY"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
