By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
Rating: +
out of ++++
Running Time: 93 minutes
This feature film from Universal Pictures is now playing exclusively at cinemas.
While members of the press are often allowed to see movies in advance of their release, we don’t always have access to everything coming out at the cinemas. Sometimes, a studio doesn’t think that a screening with critics will benefit it at the box office. This logic doesn’t always mean that the movies are weak (Backrooms and Obsession weren’t previewed for reviewers, but still impressed many when they caught up with them). But yes, sometimes one does find themselves with a typical audience the night of the film’s release and realizes that the picture was hidden for a reason.
Such is the case with the new chiller Other Mommy.
The movie features an exceptional cast, is impressively shot, and every now and then offers a unique image or two. But it’s also utter nonsense that will leave viewers confused about the decisions of the protagonists, and even the acts and motivations of the monstrous character pursuing them. It seems like there was probably far more expository material shot than what actually appears in the final cut, and ends up as a messy, preposterous jumble.
It all starts interestingly enough, with a seven-year-old girl named Isabella “Bela” Martin (Arabella Olivia Clark) at home with her dad and primary caregiver Russ (Jay Duplass). Bela’s mom Ursula (Jessica Chastain) is a workaholic who doesn’t spend anywhere near as much time with the family as they would like. One day while Bela is alone near the kitchen, Ursula appears unexpectedly. The child quickly realizes that this figure is not her mother, but a demonic doppelganger. This monster attacks Bela and Russ, who escape its clutches.
Similarly shocking events follow, with the parents coming to the conclusion that their tormentor is a supernatural entity targeting Bela.
At one point, even the “Other Mommy” explains that she wants to permanently possess Bela’s body, if the girl will permit it. Apparently, the girl has been selected as an ideal host because she is young and innocent. Panicked, Russ suggests contacting Ursula’s spiritualist mother Ruth (Karen Allen), but Ursula resists, calling Ruth and her paranormal investigator friends “quacks” (a strange response given what’s occurring to them). Eventually, they all reunite and confront family issues in order to repel the Other Mommy.
One can easily see why Chastain might have been attracted to the part. There is drama to be derived from being an absentee, guilt-ridden, workaholic parent. And the Other Mommy offers the opportunity to present a strange and sinister version of the same character. The star is intimidating as the villain, even if the filmmakers are too obvious in revealing which one Bela was dealing with in each scene. Duplass is likable as the concerned dad, and, while woefully underutilized, Allen makes an impression as grandmother to Bela. And the child also fares well as presenting angst and fear.
Additionally, there are creative visuals on display. This includes one scene involving an upside-down room, party balloons and the Other Mommy trying to grasp her target. The same is true during a pursuit at a kid’s indoor play area when Bela gets pulled under a ball pit with her dad frantically searching for her.
But this is where the positives end. As noted, the movie feels choppy and repetitive as it rushes from one attack scene to the next. There are always going to be logistical issues in this type of a script, but the movie is bizarre in its handling of them. The family endures a traumatic attack, and then joke around or try to behave normally, before responding to another occurrence.
As for the Other Mommy, it’s very unclear as to what it can and can’t do. This antagonist is appealing to Bela to let it take possession of her body, but then resorts to just snatching her. Sometimes, the Other Mommy is remarkably violent and murders people, but doesn’t seem to want to do this to the parents. It’s also a little confusing as to why, in a giant indoor playground packed with innocent kids, Bela is the only potential target for a new body.
There is a subplot involving another family member that ends quite nastily, yet is almost immediately tossed aside and forgotten. It makes one wonder if there weren’t reshoots or reedits behind the scenes causing these gaffes. In fact, there are so many other story inconsistencies that it all becomes funny rather than terrifying. Despite the talent on camera, the studio was wise to hide Other Mommy from critics, and most audiences should stay far away this Halloween season.
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