So a weird thing is happening when it comes to “Other Mommy,” starring Jessica Chastain. The review embargo has technically lifted, and anyone can publish a review or post their thoughts on social media, except the film hasn’t been screened for press yet. And previews start tonight!
That is never a good sign. Yet some non-US influencers, bloggers, and critics have seen the film, and it’s quite obvious that this is going to be one of the worst-reviewed movies of the year.
There’s really no other way to put it. Reviews from The Jam Report (1.5/5), The AU Review (2/5), and Screen Space (1.5/5) are hinting at disaster. Meanwhile, Global Box Office says it’s “Jessica Chastain’s worst movie in a long time.” The social media reactions are even worse, as can be seen below.
“Other Mommy” had its trailer go viral this summer, which has led to fairly strong tracking; it’s currently eyeing a $20M opening weekend. Universal holding off on screening this one for US press is an attempt to keep stellar ticket sales from being sabotaged once the reviews come out, and at this point the Rotten Tomatoes score will likely be very low.
“Other Mommy” centers on Bela, an 8-year-old stuck in a house strained by her parents' marital troubles, who encounters a sinister presence crawling out of her closet that she names "Other Mommy" and which grows into a mounting threat to her whole family. The hook? Jessica Chastain plays double duty as both Bela's mother and the entity itself, which was either going to be a campy disaster or a genuinely scary showcase. It seems to be the former.
Savage directed “Host,” an effective horror cheapie — a 2020 British found-footage film shot while quarantine restrictions were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For “Other Mommy,” he admitted that the film has a “jump scare” every two minutes, around 50 in total across its 80-minute runtime, which, whether he realizes it or not, is not as much of a selling point as he might think. Jump scares are the cheapest trick in the horror playbook.
As for Chastain, she’s obviously a talented actress and an Oscar winner whose last two films were with Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco (“Memory,” “Dreams”), and she is now returning to major studio territory. She has only dabbled in horror a handful of times, most notably with “Mama,” “Crimson Peak,” and “It Chapter Two.”
“Other Mommy” is currently scheduled to open in theaters on October 9.
Only some non-US influencers, bloggers, and critics have seen the film, and it’s quite obvious that this is going to be one of the worst-reviewed movies of the year.