Jessica Chastain Horror Movie Other Mommy Receives Poor Reviews

Horror is a difficult genre to get right. Initial reviews show that Other Mommy struggles to win over genre fans and general moviegoers. Having Jessica Chastain as its headliner might draw curious audiences, but the main advantage for Other Mommy is that October is the right time for moviegoers to hit the theaters to watch a scary film.

Other Mommy’s success might not go beyond its first trailer

Director Rob Savage has spent most of his career making horror movies. His latest film, Other Mommy, delivered a strong first trailer that caught the interest of thousands of viewers. Seeing a contortionist Jessica Chastain emerge from under a table achieves that effect. However, the director placed his best cards on the table too early.

Universal Studios has remained secretive about Other Mommy. The studio opted to skip most critics’ screenings, so very few people watched the film before it hit theaters on Oct. 9. A few critics managed to view previews, leading to a handful of early reviews. The response looks poor for the latest production from Blumhouse and Atomic Monster.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Other Mommy currently holds a 20% rating. The score may change following the release, but it is unlikely to rise significantly. Most reviews are negative and barely reach a neutral threshold. Reviewers point out several flaws, including odd pacing, poor structure, a lack of build-up, unintentional comedy, and overall weak horror elements.

“The film is missing a sense of dreadful build-up that might help its scares sink in deeper. As is, Savage’s film is an attractive but mostly vacuous collection of jumpy bits and half-baked mythology.” The Hollywood Reporter

Many critics highlight the ineffective jump scares. Fresh Fiction gave the movie a 2 out of 5, noting that “if you’ve seen the teaser trailer, then you’ve basically seen the best part of this movie.” To promote the film, the director boasted about Other Mommy’s absurd number of jump scares during its roughly 90-minute runtime, but quantity does not equal quality. Viewers quickly become desensitized and shrug when another scary face pops up on screen.

“The direction is sloppy, the score is unremarkable, and not even Chastain can save such a terrible screenplay. (…) What should be a straightforward premise is bogged down by cheap melodrama and repetitive, failed jump scares. I haven’t read the book, but hopefully it is much better than this lackluster adaptation.” Global Box Office

Even if it misses expectations, Other Mommy might still work as a casual popcorn flick during the spooky season. Critics label it an “unintentionally hilarious endurance test,” meaning audiences can treat it as a comedy rather than a traditional horror movie.

Source: Polygon