Released on October 9, 2026, Other Mommy features Jessica Chastain in a complex dual role as both a mother and a supernatural entity. While the film secured a top spot at the box office during its debut, it has faced significant backlash from critics.
A 16% Rotten Tomatoes score amidst box office dominance
The commercial performance of Other Mommy stands in stark contrast to its critical reception. As the report notes, the film earned a meager 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, even as it successfully topped the box office during its opening weekend. This disconnect highlights a growing divide in modern horror between films designed for immediate visceral impact and those built for long-term psychological dread.
The film's narrative, based on Josh Malerman's novel Incidents Around the House, centers on a young girl named Bela, played by Arabella Olivia Clark. while the premise of a child being manipulated by a creature resembling her mother is inherently unsettling, critics argue that the execution falls short of its potential.
From the screen-based terror of 'Host' to 'Other Mommy'
Director Rob Savage has previously demonstrated a mastery of high-tension, low-budget horror. Before helming Other Mommy, Savage directed the 2020 pandemic-era hit Host, which utilized the format of a video call to create intense supernatural encounters. According to the source, Host was so effective that a study of audience physiological reactions actually ranked it higher than the film Sinister.
While Other Mommy utilizes much more elaborate special effects than the minimalist approach seen in Host, it appears to have lost some of that concentrated terror. The shift from the claustrophobic, screen-based format to a more traditional production seems to have traded Savage's signature tension for more predictable, loud scares.
Why 'The Conjuring' and 'The Ring' maintain superior tension
The criticism leveled against Other Mommy often points to its reliance on jump scares rather than the sustained dread found in genre staples. for instance, James Wan's The Conjuring (2013) is cited as a benchmark for effective supernatural horror. The film uses simple setups—such as the infamous clapping sequence—to build unbearable tension without needing to constantly reveal its monsters.
Similarly, Gore Verbinski's The Ring (2002) succeeds by turning an ordinary household object, a viedotape, into a source of constant anxiety. Unlike Other Mommy, which the report suggests often telegraphs its supernatural confrontations, classics like The Ring allow a sense of overwhelming dread to hang over every scene, making the audience fear what they cannot see.
Can Jessica Chastain’s performance overcome jump scare fatigue?
The film's ability to sustain a legacy remains an open question, particularly regarding the depth of its adaptation. The source does not clarify how closely Rob Savage adhered to the specific psychological beats of Josh Malerman's original novel. Additionally, while Chastain's ability to make a simple smile appear sinister is a highlight, it is unclear if her star power alone can elevate the film above the "clichéd" label currently assigned by critics.
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