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Goodnight Mommy
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Horror-thriller has intense peril, disturbing violence.
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Goodnight Mommy
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Based on 1 parent review
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What's the Story?
In GOODNIGHT MOMMY, Elias and Luke are twin boys who are driven to a remote house where their mother (Naomi Watts), a famous actress, is recuperating from plastic surgery. While initially happy to be reunited with their mother, it doesn't take long for them to suspect that something is wrong. Their mother no longer wants to sing their lullaby, she acts cold and distant to them, and has taken up smoking. As her behavior toward them becomes increasingly strict and severe, the boys are convinced that the woman behind the bandages isn't their mother. They plan their escape, but with their father not returning their calls and the house being far from the nearest town, they soon realize that in order to escape, they'll have to employ more drastic methods.
Is It Any Good?
This is an unsettling psychological horror movie that's slightly dragged down by horror movie cliches. Goodnight Mommy starts off with a cool premise: Twin boys reunited with their mother who's recuperating from surgery that has her face covered in bandages are convinced that her erratic and cold behavior towards them is due to this person not being their mother. Their imaginations run wild with speculation as to who their mother really is, and it's initially fun to play along as the audience, but after one "hint-hint" and plot twist too many, it doesn't take that long to suss out that nothing is what it seems, and the proverbial "big reveal" comes across as disappointing and rushed.
It's unfortunate, because the acting is strong across the board, and after everything more or less makes sense, the quality of Naomi Watts' performance is all the more rewarding. By all accounts, the original 2014 Austrian movie on which this is a remake is the better and more disturbing movie, and also does more to heighten what's really happening. That said, it's still a fun watch despite the tropes of horror movie cops who don't do their jobs, head-fake scenes that are just nightmares, jump scares, etc.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about psychological horror movies like Goodnight Mommy. Why do you think movies like this are so popular?
This is a remake of a 2014 movie of the same title. Why do you think Hollywood remakes so many movies? Are they ever as good as the original movies? Why or why not?
Movies like these are known for having plot twists that are intended to surprise and keep the audience guessing. Were you surprised by this movie's plot twists? Why or why not? What are some other movies with plot twists?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 16, 2022
- Cast: Naomi Watts , Cameron Crovetti , Nicholas Crovetti
- Director: Matt Sobel
- Studio: Amazon Studios
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters
- Run time: 91 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: Some language.
- Last updated: December 1, 2022
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