Other Mommy (2026) Universal/Horror RT: 93 minutes Rated R (some bloody violence and language) Director: Rob Savage Screenplay: Nathan Elston Music: Patrick Johnson Cinematography: Lowell A. Meyer Release date: October 9, 2026 (US) Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass, Arabella Olivia Clark, Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, Karen Allen, Sean Kaufman.
Rating: ***
The horror in Other Mommy is of a demonic nature. It’s an evil entity referred to as “Other Mommy” due to its eerie resemblance to the mother (Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye) of the child (Clark, The Housemaid) being targeted. It wants to “go inside [her] heart”. It just needs her to say yes. It proceeds to terrorize the family as they try to find a way to get rid of it.
Bella is a lonely little girl. She just moved into a new home with her parents, Ursula and Russ whom she affectionately calls Daddo (Duplass, Transparent). It’s a fractured marriage. Mom works a lot; Daddo is a stay-at-home dad. He’s not exactly the most attentive parent. She’s the ideal target for something evil. Now here’s where Other Mommy differs from most other horror movies involving children. Bella isn’t the only one who can see O.M. It reveals itself to her parents almost right away. Daddo sees it under the kitchen table right after it almost starts a fire. Mom sees it after a horrifying incident at an anniversary party. So what that means is there’s never any question about the girl’s sanity.
They go on the run only to discover they won’t escape it that way. They ultimately seek help from Ursula’s estranged mother (Allen, Raiders of the Lost Ark) who’s into the paranormal. Lucky for them, she knows somebody who can help.
Directed by Rob Savage (The Boogeyman), Other Mommy is pretty decent. I know Other Critics have been savaging it (hey, that’s two!), but I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say it was especially scary, but it does have two or three good “BOO!” scenes. It also has two great set-pieces, one at the aforementioned party and the other at a play center with a ball pit. The rest of it is standard stuff with a few ideas borrowed from Poltergeist. The big difference is this paranormal investigator (Lachman, Severance) is no Tangina.
Chastain gives a great dual performance as Mom and O.M., an aloof parent and a smother mother, two opposites that look alike. Bella can never be sure which one she’s talking to. Her only clue is whether or not her feet are touching the floor (O.M. floats a couple inches above it). As Mom, Chastain conveys fear. As O.M., she encompasses it. She is one frightening creation, especially for a child.
Clark is a relative newcomer. This is her first major role. She’s pretty good as Bella. The 10YO actress, playing a 7YO, appears to get her character. She senses the discord between her parents, but doesn’t have the emotional maturity to process it. Savage appears to be saying something about childhood anxieties about family and the threat of the unit breaking up. Other Mommy somewhat effectively taps into these fears, but it never explores them with any real depth.
So I guess the most important thing about Other Mommy is the same question I ask about all horror movies: is it scary? I wasn’t scared myself, but I think the teens might get a kick out of it. It’ll probably be scary for youngsters who haven’t seen too many horror films, especially the ones just old enough to see an R movie without a parent. I’d even take it a step further and say it’s a good one for young teens begging to see their first real horror movie. Obviously, I’m not in that age bracket. Still, I think Other Mommy is pretty good. Sure, the CGI is a bit wonky, but it doesn’t ruin the whole thing. It is genuinely creepy at times. It’s a decent flick for Halloween.
P.S. Don’t go looking for the bathtub scene from the trailer. It was cut prior to release. I hate it when that happens, don’t you? 
