Film: Other Mommy
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Arabella Olivia Clark, Jay Duplass
Directed by: Rob Savage
Duration: 1 hour 33 minutes
Rating: * * * 1 / 2
Given that practically every plot and subplot in the horror genre has been explored, there is precious little room left for innovation. And with the genre churning out films by the dozen every year, most of which disappoint or tread familiar ground, Rob Savage’s Other Mommy offers enough bang for your buck. There is no unnecessary mumbo-jumbo, convoluted backstory or elaborate explanation, and the film works all the better for it.
Produced by horror specialist James Wan, of Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring fame, Other Mommy wastes no time getting down to business. We meet a family of three: Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark), a young girl who lives with her parents, Ursula (Jessica Chastain) and Russ (Jay Duplass), whom they fondly call ‘Daddo’.
At night, in her bedroom, Bela sees and talks to ‘Other Mommy’, a ghostly figure who bears a frightening resemblance to her mother. This sinister doppelganger wants to get into Bela’s heart and is merely waiting for her approval. Unlike in most horror films, where the supernatural presence is visible to only one character, it doesn’t take long for Bela’s father to encounter Other Mommy, leading into the title sequence, which unfolds through an impressive montage.
Soon, the entire family, along with others, can see Other Mommy. They can run, but they cannot hide. While the film follows many of the genre’s familiar conventions, some sequences are particularly well crafted. The anniversary celebration, for instance, features an unnerving inverted-camera shot, while the scene set in an indoor play area filled with hundreds of colourful soft balls is equally unsettling. These moments are far eerier than the predictable jump scares that horror films so often rely on.
The problem with horror films is that they often dig themselves into a hole so deep that climbing out becomes an uphill task. By avoiding an unnecessarily long and convoluted backstory, Other Mommy manages to wriggle its way out of this trap, at least to some extent. The takeaway, perhaps, is that sooner or later, we all have to exorcise our own demons.
Speaking of exorcism, the film also takes the mickey out of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. These supposed experts, who claim to know a thing or two about ghosts, are dismissed as little more than scammers, adding a touch of humour to the proceedings.
The performances lend credibility to the characters. Jessica Chastain is convincing as the mother, while young Arabella Olivia Clark plays Bela with remarkable conviction, holding her own in a film that demands much of her. All said and done, Other Mommy has enough thrills and chills to make for a suitably spooky matinee.
