Jessica Chastain stars in supernatural horror Other Mommy

Jessica Chastain plays both a working mother and a demonic entity in the new horror film Other Mommy, which adapts the book Incidents Around the House. In the story, a young girl named Bela, played by Arabella Olivia Clark, encounters a supernatural creature that copies her mother's appearance. The entity tries to trick the child into letting her into her heart so she can enter the real world.

Production Details

James Wan produced the project, bringing expectations because of his work on The Conjuring universe. British director Rob Savage led the production, while Universal chose to release the movie without early screenings for critics, a choice paired with predictions of a weekend box office haul of over twenty million dollars. Jay Duplass appears as the husband in the cast.

Critical Reception

Critics note that the film falls short of its hype and lacks the frequent jump scares that director Rob Savage claimed it possessed. The story moves too fast and struggles with character performances that feel unconvincing, though Jessica Chastain receives praise for her double role and the climax manages to catch the audience's attention.

Context

Horror films based on popular novels often draw heavy interest before release, leading studios to build large marketing campaigns around them. When studios decide to keep a movie hidden from reviewers until opening day, it usually points to a worry about mixed reactions rather than a total box office failure.