Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Other Mommy Review: Chastain’s Horror Film Misses Its Scares
Other Mommy is a scary movie about a young girl and a strange visitor who looks like her mother.
The visitor seems kind at first but has a frightening side.
The story also shows problems within the girl’s family.
The reviews say the idea could have made a stronger movie.
They praise Jessica Chastain’s acting and some of the film’s visuals.
But they say the story moves unevenly and does not make its frightening moments work well.
One review thought there were too few effective scares.
Another said repeated jump scares and an uneven tone got in the way.
Both reviewers felt the film was disappointing overall.
Other Mommy is directed by Rob Savage and adapted from Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House.
The story follows a young girl whose unsettling visitor resembles her mother and threatens her family.
The reviews criticize the film’s pacing, uneven tone and failure to build sustained suspense.
One review says scares rarely materialize, while the other criticizes recurrent jump scares.
Both reviews praise aspects of the performances and premise but find the film ultimately underwhelming.
- Who
- The film stars Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass and Arabella Olivia Clark.
- What
- Other Mommy is a horror film about a young girl menaced by a figure resembling her mother.
- When
- The film is reviewed as being in theatres; no release date is stated.
- Where
- In theatres.
- Why
- The story explores childhood fears and family difficulties through a supernatural threat.
Critical concerns
Positive elements
Effectiveness of the scares
Critical concerns
One review says the scares rarely materialize and that atmosphere substitutes for suspense.
Positive elements
The other acknowledges a creepy concept and occasional visual flourishes, though it says recurrent jump scares weaken the film.
Performances and premise
Critical concerns
The reviews say strong performances and an intriguing premise cannot overcome the film’s pacing and narrative shortcomings.
Positive elements
They credit Jessica Chastain’s performance and describe the concept and family drama as having potential.
- Film
- Other Mommy
- Director
- Rob Savage
- Source novel
- Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
- Setting
- A troubled family home
- Review rating
- One review gives the film 2 stars; the other provides no star rating.
- Critical response
- Both reviews find the film’s scares and execution disappointing.
