2026 has so far been a banner year for horror movies, with Obsession and Backrooms breaking box office records, but unfortunately it looks like Other Mommy won't continue that trend, as the Jessica Chastain starrer has debuted to poor reviews.
Other Mommy currently sits at 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by The Boogeyman and The Host's Rob Savage, Other Mommy follows a little girl who starts to see a sinister entity that takes the shape of her mother. When the first trailer hit the internet earlier this year, horror fans were shocked by that super creepy under-the-table jump scare, and were excited to see what else was in store.
However, it sounds as though all of Other Mommy's best bits had already been used in marketing materials, leaving much to be desired. "If you’ve seen the teaser trailer, then you've basically seen the best part of this movie," said Courtney Howard from Fresh Fiction, and Bloody Disgusting's John Squires writes, "Other Mommy is in such a rush to get to the next scary trailer moment that the opening title sequence already feels like the climactic finale. No dread, no build, no time spent establishing anything."
The movie stars Chastain both as the real mom and the other mommy. The star has dabbled in the horror genre before, in IT: Chapter 2 and Mama, but critics say Chastain's star power wasn't enough to save Other Mommy. IGN writer Carlos Morales added, "Jessica Chastain is great in the lead role, and there are a few effective jump scares, but the film's lack of originality means there simply isn't enough blood in the stone on a dramatic level for Other Mommy to satisfy."
Some viewers seemed to enjoy the new paranormal picture, though. YouTuber Emma Wolfe (SpookyAstronauts) said, "I do not think it's a perfect film, but... honestly, shivers went down my spine several times in this movie, and I've never been so terrified at the same time as feeling emotional about a scene."
Other Mommy is out in theaters now. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, and keep up with the most exciting upcoming horror movies.
