As initial reviews go live, it appears that Other Mommy is struggling to gain appreciation by genre fans and moviegoers in general. Having Jessica Chastain as its poster girl could entice curious fans, but Other Mommy's only saving grace might be the fact that October is the right time for moviegoers to hit the theaters to watch a scary movie. Director Rob Savage has spent most of his career making horror movies.
His latest film, Other Mommy, delivered a great first trailer that caught the interest of thousands of viewers. Seeing a contortionist Jessica Chastain emerge from under a table will do that. However, it seems like the director put all his best cards on the table too early.
Universal Studios has been secretive about Other Mommy. It has opted to skip most critics' screenings, so very few have actually been able to watch it before it hits theaters on Oct. 9. Nevertheless, some critics were able to watch previews, which means a handful of reviews have started rolling out.
And it's not looking good for Blumhouse Atomic Monster's latest production. On Rotten Tomatoes, Other Mommy currently has a 20% rating. The score may change after release, but it's unlikely to rise significantly.
Most reviews are bad and are barely enough to reach a neutral rating. Reviewers underline several negative factors, such as odd pacing and structure, lack of build-up, unintentional comedy, and overall weak horror elements. "The film is missing a sense of dreadful build-up that might help its scares sink in deeper.
As is, Savage’s film is an attractive but mostly vacuous collection of jumpy bits and half-baked mythology." The Hollywood Reporter Many critics point out the ineffective jump scares. As expected, "if you’ve seen the teaser trailer, then you’ve basically seen the best part of this movie," said Fresh Fiction, giving it a 2 out of 5. To promote the film, the director boasted about Other Mommy's absurd number of jump scares during its roughly 90-minute runtime, but the reality is that quantity does not equal quality.
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