Rob Savage’s Other Mommy is unlike anything I have seen before. Challenging many of the horror genre’s familiar tropes, the film takes an unsettling premise and pushes it into some genuinely disturbing territory. When I first watched the trailer, my mind immediately went to Henry Selick’s Coraline and its sinister Other Mother. While there are certainly similarities between the two, Other Mommy establishes an identity of its own, delivering a horror experience that is as emotionally affecting as it is visually unnerving.

Based on Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House, the film follows Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark), a young girl who finds herself pursued by a supernatural entity known as Other Mommy. As the presence becomes increasingly threatening, Bela and her parents, played by Jessica Chastain and Jay Duplass, must find a way to rid themselves of the entity before it is too late.

One of the most interesting aspects of Other Mommy is the way it subverts a familiar horror convention. In stories involving children and supernatural entities, the adults are often unable to see the imaginary friend or malevolent presence tormenting their child. Here, that dynamic is flipped entirely. Bela’s parents can see Other Mommy from the outset, immediately establishing that this is not simply a case of childhood imagination running wild. The threat is real, and the film makes little attempt to offer the audience the comfort of believing otherwise.

The film’s greatest strength, however, lies in Jessica Chastain’s performance. She is undoubtedly the highlight, demonstrating an impressive range of emotions as she navigates the distinction between Bela’s mother and the terrifying entity that bears her likeness. On one side, she brings a vulnerability and strength to her portrayal of a mother desperate to protect her child. On the other, she becomes something entirely different: unhinged, deeply unsettling and downright terrifying.

Chastain is no stranger to portraying complicated women, from her composed and formidable character in The Help to the psychological tension of Mother’s Instinct. Yet Other Mommy allows her to venture into territory that feels distinctly different from much of her previous work. She throws herself into the horror with remarkable conviction, using the smallest changes in her facial expressions to create an atmosphere of dread. Her ability to work alongside the film’s visual effects is particularly impressive, with the transformation between the two characters making for some of its most disturbing moments. It is a performance that constantly commands attention, even when the film itself occasionally struggles to maintain its momentum.

Arabella Olivia Clark is equally deserving of praise. As Bela, she brings a vulnerability to the role that makes the character’s predicament all the more affecting. Holding her own opposite an Oscar-winning performer is no small feat, particularly in a film that demands so much emotionally from its young protagonist. Clark rises to the challenge, delivering a performance that grows increasingly assured as the story progresses. Her ability to convey Bela’s fear and confusion without losing the character’s individuality makes her a compelling presence throughout.

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The special effects are another major highlight. Other Mommy relies heavily on its practical and visual transformations, from contorting bodies to faces that appear to droop and distort in deeply unnatural ways. Thankfully, the effects are exceptional, giving the film a physicality that makes its horror feel all the more immediate. Rather than relying solely on jump scares or fleeting glimpses of something lurking in the shadows, Savage allows the audience to witness the grotesque transformations in all their glory. The results are frequently nightmarish, and the effects remain one of the film’s most effective tools from beginning to end.

Where Other Mommy falters somewhat is in its storytelling. While the film establishes an intriguing supernatural mystery, I found myself wanting a little more exploration of where Other Mommy came from and what exactly she represents. There are moments when the narrative feels as though it is deliberately withholding information that could have added another layer to the story. Although ambiguity can be an effective tool in horror, there were times when I wanted the film to push further into its own mythology.

That said, there is an undeniable emotional undercurrent running beneath the terror. Other Mommy maintains a secretive, almost dreamlike atmosphere, gradually allowing certain revelations to come into focus. When these moments arrive, they carry a surprising emotional weight. In fact, there were points when I found myself welling up, an unusual reaction for me when watching a horror film. Beneath the grotesque imagery and supernatural menace, there is something genuinely affecting at the heart of this story, and those moments give the film a resonance that extends beyond its scares.

Ultimately, Other Mommy is an ambitious and often deeply unsettling horror film elevated by two excellent performances and some truly impressive effects. Its reluctance to fully explain its central mystery occasionally leaves the story feeling underdeveloped, but its willingness to embrace the strange, the grotesque and the emotionally unexpected makes it a memorable experience. Rob Savage has crafted a film that challenges familiar horror conventions while finding room for genuine feeling amid the nightmare. And with Chastain delivering one of her most unsettling performances to date, Other Mommy proves that sometimes the most frightening thing imaginable is something that looks familiar.

★★★

Out in UK Cinemas now/ Jessica Chastain, Arabella Olivia Clark, Jay Duplass, Karen Allen / Dir: Rob Savage / Blumhouse / 15

About the Author

Megan Hilborne

Author

Megan is a freelance writer and film critic based in Portsmouth. She graduated with a degree in Film in 2020 and has continued her study of the medium in her day-to-day life. She takes particular interest in indie, horror, feminist and queer cinema. Some of her writing credits include an interview with Academy Award winner Sean Baker and Time’s 2025 Most Influential People inductee Mo Abudu.

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