"Goodnight Mommy" Is A Psychological Horror Story Where Naomi Watts Plays A Creepy Mom, And It's QUITE The Ride
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
In case you haven't heard of it, Goodnight Mommy is a new psychological horror film from director Matt Sobel (Brand New Cherry Flavor).
And it's actually an English-language adaptation of the 2014 Austrian film of the same name, which is also known as Ich seh, Ich seh in German.
For a little backstory, the 2014 version was quite popular, scoring an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics. And it even gained something of a cult following over the last few years.
So, here's the deal...Goodnight Mommy (2022) follows the story of twin brothers (Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti) who arrive home one day only to find their mother (Naomi Watts) surprisingly covered with a weird surgical mask over her face.
Weird mask aside, their visit starts off more or less okay. But it doesn't take long before the boys begin to note that their mother is not acting the way she usually does. They feel like something is off. Way off.
Their mother smokes, sets strict rules, and refuses to sing their favorite bedtime song — things their previously warm, caring mom would never do.
She even goes so far as to secretly tear up a nice drawing Elias, one of the twins, made just for her. :-(
It doesn't take long before the visit begins to unravel and the boys soon find themselves trapped in something of a horror house with who they think is an imposter. (It CAN'T be their mom!!!)
They make several attempts to escape their situation — calls to dad and even the police — but it seems no one can help them. So...what do they do? Take things into their own hands.
Without saying too much, just like the original, if you don't see the ending coming, you're bound to be shocked. (Or, if you're great at spotting details, maybe you'll figure it out from the get-go!).
Goodnight Mommy (2022) is set in a very bleak, unsettling location — a large, but cold, home deep in the countryside.
The strange location adds to the austere tone of the film, as well as Watts's spine-chilling performance as Mother.
Obviously, I think we can all agree that Watts is phenomenal in just about every role she takes on, and the great news is that Goodnight Mommy is no exception.
Despite her face being covered in bandages for almost the entirety of the film, Watts is able to give a performance that will leave you impressed and spooked at the same time.
Now, I have to admit that, having seen the original before this, I am a little biased. *Whispers* The ending didn't blow my mind as much as I'm sure the filmmakers intended. And, FWIW, the reveal was something I saw coming, even in the original 2014 version.
However, it's worth noting that the filmmakers for this 2022 remake dive a little deeper into the Mother character, and that does make for an interesting spin on the story. And if you're someone who's into esoteric horror, it's definitely worth giving this one a watch.
