Atomic Monster

Other Mommy (2026): The Parent Crap

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Other Mommy” is directed by Rob Savage (Host, The Boogeyman) and stars Jessica Chastain (Interstellar, The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Jay Duplass (Pain Hustlers, Transparent), Arabella Olivia Clark (The Housemaid, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere), Rosie Anne O’Gorman, Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse, Neighbours), Arian Moayed (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Succession), Sean Kaufman (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Stumble), and Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Sandlot). This film is based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 horror novel “Incidents Around the House” and follows a young girl named Bela who is trying her best to adjust to a new school and the growing separation between her parents. At the same time, she communicates with a supernatural being that resembles her mother, much to the bewilderment of her family.

Trailers are some of the coolest marketing tools ever created. Well… Unless you are sitting at an AMC and wondering why the movie hasn’t started yet. But one of the trailers I had the pleasure of watching during select film experiences recently is “Other Mommy.” The trailer came out last summer, around the same time that “The Odyssey” came to theaters. Logistically, this makes sense. After all, Universal released “The Odyssey,” and “Other Mommy” is also a Universal film. It is essentially Universal getting everyone thinking about “what’s next” just as they dive into their latest project.

One of the things I remember deeply from the trailer was in addition to several sequences showing her off, there was a giant piece of text reading “JESSICA CHASTAIN.” It was so big it took up the whole frame. I get why. She is a big star. She has top billing. The movie’s marketing shows her off for good reason.

Now that I have seen the movie, I am reminded of my experiences with some of the recent “Godzilla” projects, particularly 2014 and “King of the Monsters.” These are films with excellent marketing campaigns, but their movies absolutely pale in comparison.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures – © 2026 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

“Other Mommy” will go down as one of the biggest disappointments of 2026. Based on how much the trailer excited me, it is a film that I wanted to see as soon as possible. And upon seeing it, part of me wants a Men in Black agent to neuralyze the memory of this film from my existence. For those who pay attention to the cinematic calendar, there is often at least one horror movie that releases at the beginning of the year. Specifically January or February. This feels like a horror film that belongs in one of those months, but because this film had such an excellent marketing campaign, Universal likely decided October, which is primetime for horror with Halloween coming up, was the best month for this movie instead.

If anything, the trailer did not lie, Jessica Chastain deserves to be the top selling point of the film. After all, she plays two different characters, to a degree anyway, and by no means are either of her performances bad. However, I do wish Chastain were given better material. This film feels more like a Jessica Chastain demo reel rather than an actual movie.

When the film features Chastain as Ursula, we see her as this loving, but concerned mother of her daughter Bela, who occasionally communicates with a supernatural entity, who we come to know as the “Other Mommy.” That is where Chastain’s finer material comes in, and part of it is because of her facial expressions and general dialogue delivery, but the special effects work also occasionally adds a nice touch in some sequences.

That said, there is an unappealing vibe to this film. While the film may look polished, its dialogue and characters come off as if they belong in a Lifetime or Syfy original movie. The only reason why they are not on either of these channels is because, well, Jessica Chastain. She may not be as big as Zendaya, but she has proven she can give knockout performances, so putting her name front and center prompts high expectations. Maybe other than Jay Duplass, I did not recognize a good chunk of the film’s cast. But it didn’t matter. The film got my money anyway. Sadists.

To piggyback off of the unappealing vibe, there is a tonal inconsistency to the movie. The fact that it has Jessica Chastain in the lead role leads to, unsurprisingly, a decent performance. But I feel like it would have been slightly better if the film stuck to a serious tone. There are a lot of cheesy moments in this movie, whether they were intended or not. In addition, there were chunks of dialogue that were almost designed as if they were to diss on horror movie cliches, even if this horror film uses some of those cliches to a certain degree.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures – © 2026 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

While “Other Mommy” is by no means the worst story I had the displeasure of sitting through, I was shocked to realize how bored I became as a result of watching the movie. The film starts off fine, but it becomes increasingly dull minute by minute. “Other Mommy” is 93 minutes. For a feature-length film, that is not long. There are so many scenes where the pace is surprisingly slow. Not slow in a way that is digestible, but slow in a way that makes it feel like Other Mommy is tucking me in so I can fall asleep.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing about “Other Mommy” is that the film is not scary. I watched this film in D-Box, and that did not even save it! The only way I can see someone jumping out of their skin as a result of “Other Mommy” is if their fanaticism for jumpscares is as extreme as skydiving. If you like jumpscares, “Other Mommy” might be your cup of tea. I am not the biggest fan of jumpscares, I think they are traditionally cheap, and this movie showcases their tacky nature.

I love a good twist in a movie. Note the use of the word good. This movie has a twist, but good is not the word I would use to describe it. If anything, I found the twist somewhat predictable. Granted, the twist is not broken, but still. The movie drops this ball towards the end that is supposed to sound like this big game-changer but in reality, I could kind of see it coming from a mile away. In fact, you know what would have been a great twist? This movie getting better! But it doesn’t! Forget “Other Mommy,” consider me interested in other MOVIES.

In the end, “Other Mommy” is shockingly boring and lacking in terror. Is “Other Mommy” the worst movie of the year? Not quite. Although I am confounded in what it was the crew was going for. Is this serious? Campy? Both? “Other Mommy” seems to have an identity crisis. Jessica Chastain is a fantastic actress and she commits to each scene. She never seems to phone it in. I am just disappointed she was not able to lend her tremendous talent to something much more watchable. If you like Jessica Chastain, there are better options for your viewing pleasure. “Interstellar,” “Zero Dark Thirty…” Heck! She even has a movie with MOTHER in the title that is better than this! If you have not seen “Mothers’ Instinct,” go check it out. It is a good watch. I am going to give “Other Mommy” a 4/10.

Also, I have heard some people online say that instead of “Other Mommy,” this movie should be called “Other Mother.” But I will defend the title “Other Mommy.” First off, some people might see “Other Mother” and think of the character from “Coraline,” which is much better movie than this one, by the way. Also, this movie is from the perspective of a girl who is still in the single-digit age range. Chances are the word “mommy” is part of her daily vocabulary. Just my two cents. There are some things in this movie that raises my eyebrows. The title is not one of them.

“Other Mommy” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! If you would like to see more of my film reviews, then check out my latest episode of “Movie Requests!” This latest episode features special guest Joe Gatto, who you may know from the TV series “Impractical Jokers!” He asked me to review the dark comedy “Gringo!” Click the video above to find out my thoughts! If you enjoyed the video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a like as well!

I am also happy to announce the next guest on Movie Requests is going to be Adam Conover! You may know Conover as the star of “Adam Ruins Everything,” as well as the host of his podcast “Factually!”. Conover is also a stand-up comedian who is touring across the United States. His new special, “Big Divorce Energy,” is now available on YouTube! You can catch me talking about Conover’s film of choice on Monday, November 2nd. The video will be available, again, on my YouTube channel, as well as this very website, Flicknerd.com. Look forward to it!

My next review is going to be for “The Social Reckoning.” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “Sense and Sensibility,” “Whalefall,” “Wildwood,” “Clayface,” and “You Can See Everything.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Other Mommy?” What did you think about? Or, of the movies in which Jessica Chastain stars that contain some variation of a maternal figure in its title, which one do you think is the best? Is it “Other Mommy?” “Mothers’ Instinct?” “Mama?” I still have not seen “Mama,” so I may not have the most valid opinion here. But if you have seen “Mama,” let me know if it is better than this dud. Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Backrooms (2026): Kane Parsons Has Something Here, But Maybe Not for Me

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Backrooms” is directed by Kane Parsons, who also created a science fiction web series of the same name. This film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange, The Lion King), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value, The Worst Person in the World), Mark Duplass (Creep, Safety Not Guaranteed), Finn Bennett (Warfare, Hope Gap), and Lukita Maxwell (Afraid, Shrinking). This film is about a man who discovers an alternate dimension, as well as his therapist’s mission to save him.

“Backrooms” is a movie that I found out about through a friend of a friend. I spend a lot of time on the Internet. Where do you think I posted this review? But despite dedicating portions of my life to the web, I was never once familiar with the story behind “Backrooms.” Apparently, director Kane Parsons is, as this film is not only inspired by the 2019 Internet story, but this is not the first time he made a project linked to it. He turned the idea into a web series on his YouTube channel, and now, he is getting to bring his creativity to the big screen with the same concept.

I love seeing YouTubers get their shot at making theatrical releases. One of my favorite YouTubers, Chris Stuckmann, released “Shelby Oaks” last year, which I quite enjoyed. While I have yet to check out the movie, I heard some decent things about Markiplier’s “Iron Lung.” “Backrooms” looked like another great example of someone possibly transitioning from YouTuber to filmmaker. I am unfamiliar with Parsons’ background as a filmmaker, but I have to say I am thoroughly impressed with his efforts here.

Kane Parsons not only released a feature film through A24, which is an extraordinary bragging right at any age, but he did so at the age of 20. On top of that, he topped the domestic box office on the film’s opening weekend with $81.5 million. He is officially the youngest filmmaker to reach the number one spot.

This film definitely looks like it has less money put into it than some of its competition like “Star Wars: Mandalorian and Grogu,” which funny enough, looks cheap by “Star Wars” movie standards. But just because the film is made with a smaller budget does not mean that it is lacking in style. The film switches aspect ratios from time to time and even features some blurry 4:3 footage, sometimes enhancing the scares. The film reminds me a bit of “Weapons” in the sense that my skin never tended to crawl while watching it, but there was still a sense of consistent creepiness from start to finish. Parsons nails the atmosphere of his picture. It feels intimate, but packs a glorious punch while doing so.

In addition to reminding me of other movies, this film also reminded me of a couple video games including “The Stanley Parable” and “Portal.” The latter in particular, according to Parsons, served as a massive piece of inspiration for the film. It is easy to see why. Not only does this movie see its characters constantly going in and out of separate dimensions, but the score constantly lingers in the background. This takes me back to times where I played the first “Portal” game in particular. The music is by no means obnoxious. In fact, it is sometimes surprisingly calming, but does occasionally offer a chill. Speaking of the score, not only is this film helmed by Kane Parsons, one of the industry’s youngest directors, but he also collaborated on the making of its music alongside Edo Van Breeman.

In fact, despite a couple video game-based movies coming out this year like “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Mortal Kombat II,” one could argue that “Backrooms” is the most video game-like title released in 2026 yet. As our characters explore the titular alternate dimension, there is a sense that I was there with them, learning about the space in the same way they did. I have no idea if I would have felt any different if I had more familiarity with this material beforehand, but this film immersed me in the sense that I was someplace I had not been before and constantly trying to learn the way of the land.

Now that I have had time to think about it, “Backrooms” is not my favorite horror film. It is not bad. It has its moments, but if there is one thing about this film I am bound to remember more than anything else, one could argue it is the overall simplicity it delivers. While there are complicated elements throughout the film in terms of the story and characterization, there is a beautiful simplicity in the film’s sets, locations, and shots. I love a good film that reaches for the sky and offers tons of grand imagery, but that does not need to be the case every time, and “Backrooms” effectively shows why.

Having seen the marketing for this film, it does a really good job at succeeding where many other campaigns fail. Having seen a trailer or two, I had a sense of what this movie would be about, but the marketing splendidly hides so much material. It teases a lot, but it never gives a full picture. When it comes to the aspects involving the alternate dimension, I enjoyed unpacking more of what the film had to offer. That said, much of the film is about Clark’s (Ejiofor’s) journey in therapy, as well as his struggles with alcoholism and his marriage. I cannot quite put my finger on why I was not as attached as I could have been to the main character, but I wish I were a little more invested in his journey. That said, if I had to guess, part of it might be because the best character in the movie is not even a person. It is not even a living thing. One could argue it is the Backrooms themselves. Yes, we see Clark unravel the mystery of this alternate dimension and how such unraveling has an effect on his personal struggles in the real world, but despite a really solid performance on Ejiofor’s part, I did not find his journey outside the Backrooms as riveting as maybe the movie wanted me to. There are no “bad” scenes in the movie, but there are a handful of scenes in this film that I am going to remember more than others. Whether it is Clark discovering the backrooms for the first time, showing it off to other people, or the same character trying to keep himself together while making a commercial for a furniture store.

By the way, said furniture store is called Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire. Whenever my dad and I would find ourselves in a furniture store, we would often utter the phrase “ottoman empire” as part of a joke. Fascinating to see we are not the only people with clever taste in furniture puns.

Not to beat a dead horse, but if I was not already clear enough, this movie took my “Backrooms” virginity. While I cannot quite say that this movie made me desperate to see more of the lore online, it did make me a fan of Kane Parsons, who clearly has a passion for the material he is showcasing. He also has a talent for directing by unleashing good performances out of his cast. Parsons proves that when it comes to making cinema, age is just a number. I have a feeling his next outing will be stronger than this, but I think “Backrooms” is a decent start.

In the end, “Backrooms” is an atmospherically pleasing horror film, but I am not going to pretend that it is the most riveting material I have ever seen. I like some of the characters, and the film for the most part is well-paced. But this film, despite being a connected story, feels like two movies in one where half the story is superior to the other. To my surprise, I was more interested in the Backrooms portion of the movie compared to the scenes involving Clark’s personal struggles. Even with its drawbacks, this movie made me a Kane Parsons fan. I wish nothing but the best for his future. I am going to give “Backrooms” a 6/10.

I do want to give a little disclaimer though about my experience watching this movie, as my reviews for the most part are based on first impressions, part of me does at some point want to give this movie a second viewing and see if my opinion changes. Because I did something at the cinema for this movie that I do not usually do. I walked out of it as it was playing and came back minutes later. For the record, I walked out because I was at a dine-in theater and they never gave me my cheeseburger and fries that I ordered prior to sitting down, which by the way, I already paid for. So, more than halfway through the film, I had to go deal with that. It is quite possible that my lackluster mood during the screening due to this incident may have played a factor in my verdict. Granted, it is a positive verdict, but on the low end. Part of me is surprised I am not rating this higher. I do not think I missed anything super important, but for all I know, I could have kept myself away from the best part of the movie. Who knows?

“Backrooms” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! As a reminder, the latest episode of Scene Before’s original web series Movie Requests is now online! I just posted it Saturday. If you missed the sixth episode of the series, it features comedian and television host Chris Hardwick, who suggested I should watch “Real Genius.” Be sure to check out the video, and if you enjoy it, leave a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel, that way you do not miss new episodes down the line.

Speaking of which, in the coming days, I am going to be revealing five more guests who are going to be featured in Movie Requests. I had a chance to hear their suggestions earlier this year, and I am excited to share them all with you. Right now, the guests are being referred to as “An Asgardian,” “A Ring-Bearer,” ” A Rose,” “A Ruiner,” and “A Tenderloin.” Who do you think they are? Take your guesses, and leave them in the comments section!

My next review is going to be for “Masters of the Universe!” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “Another World,” “The Breadwinner,” “Disclosure Day,” and “Toy Story 5!” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Backrooms?” What did you think about it? Or, are you familiar at all with the Backrooms lore? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!