Name: Goodnight Mommy
Director: Matt Sobel
Released: 2022-09-16T10:30:00

Goodnight Mommy is a psychological horror film following twin brothers who believe her mother has been switched by an imposter after surgery. The film is now streaming on Prime Video.

Story

Two twin brothers come to live with their mom after some hiatus. They are taken aback to see her with a bandaged mask all over her face. She tells them that she has had minor surgery and there is nothing to worry about.

As time passes, they notice her changed and strange behaviour. She does things that she never use to do before. She also sets house rules like not opening the blinds or inviting someone over.

In various instances, she lashes out at the boys and becomes increasingly violent to the point the boys suspect that she is someone else beneath that mask and not their mother. She insists that she is, but they become increasingly suspicious.

The boys make efforts to run away but fail and then decide to face her and find out the truth about their true mother.

Performances

The film has great performances. Although with a very limited cast on screen all the time, it still has fine acting. Nicholas and Cameron Crovetti who plays Elias and Lukas are good at their job. Especially Nicholas as Elias, who is able to show all the fear, tension and complex emotions throughout the film.

Naomi Watts is amazing like she always is. She is able to take on that cold and aloof mother effortlessly. She is even stronger in the second half of the movie showing her great abilities in the intense scenes. We can see her vanity, frustration and struggle and feel it with her too.

Positives

The film’s run time is apt. It is somewhere around ninety minutes and you do not feel that it is stretched in any way.

The plot twist is really unexpected and interesting. The last 5 minutes really can wow the viewers and make them think “Ok what just happened?” The film does a good job of setting up a story and distracts the viewers from the true plot and twist until the right moment.

The brotherly bond is depicted in a beautiful way throughout the film.

The location of the film aligns with and supports the dark and mysterious tone of the film.

Negatives

Even though it is labelled as a thriller, you do not feel any thrill or tension. The plot is potentially interesting but is not supported with the right amount of chills or tense scenes.

The plot twist is great but executed absolutely poorly. There is no build-up and everything is revealed and wrapped in the last 5-7 minutes.

Even though the plot goes somewhere, it still doesn’t explain the erratic behaviour of the mother in the first half. More time could have been given to explain a little backstory of the mother or the boys.

The music could have been better to create an impact.

Verdict

Goodnight Mommy does not really feel like a horror film or a psychological one till the last 10 minutes. It’s hard to explain how you feel when you are done with it because you kind of feel nothing. It’s a one-time watch and as everyone says, it’s better to stick to the original because this remake is unnecessary at best.