Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mom must fight to save son; graphic violence, sex, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Mother's Day (2023)
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Nina (Agnieszka Grochowska) is a surly, grumpy, no-nonsense customer buying beer when we meet her at the start of MOTHER'S DAY. At first look, she might be a sad sack alcoholic going for her daily fix, but when she sees a group of male bullies threatening two women in the parking lot, she turns into a frightening vigilante. She beats up all the men until they go running, introducing her nonchalant, stellar skills in commando-style fighting. Then she visits her own grave, which features a picture of her in military uniform, and we're informed she's ex-military. We know nothing else about her. Around the time of her "death," she gave her son Max (Adrian Delikta) to a nice couple to raise. He's around 20 now and knows nothing of his origins. Someone who supposedly has beef with the "dead" Nina kidnaps Max. Nina jumps into action. No ransom is demanded so the reason for the kidnapping is murky and the people who did it seem to serve as pawns carrying out a nefarious plot for some mysterious boss. Nina unleashes savage violence on the various hapless hench-people in an effort to save her child. Stolen money, corrupt police officers, government surveillance, and something resembling the Russian Mafia all play roles.
Is It Any Good?
A gratuitous violence fest, Mother's Day is a movie whose existence is hard to justify. If the point is that a female protagonist can be just as hideously savage, surly, and baaaad as any male in a similar role, then brava! The filmmakers have made their point brilliantly. Nina seems impervious to pain. She removes bullets from her arm, sews up wounds on her own body, fights, kicks, slices, and shoots better than all the men she encounters. But so little of this makes sense.
At the same time, the movie wallows in scenes of talky explication but it leaves so many unexplained questions. When a seeming friend betrays Nina, we really haven't learned enough about him or their relationship to find his behavior shocking. To what end was the son kidnapped? A telephone message from the kidnapper claims he's getting back at Nina for killing his father, but how do you get back at someone who is dead? What would the point be? And why did Nina fake her own death? Who did she work for? Who was after her? Why? This is a feeble, muddled, poorly-plotted rehash of hundreds of other, better movies about revenge, corruption, and merciless violent crime.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how believable the plot seems. Does it feel like the slim plot is a flimsy clothesline on which to hang the real point of the movie -- fancy choreographed violence? Why or why not?
Do you think it's progress to give the kind of gory, violent role that normally is played by a man to a woman? Why or why not?
Do you think the movie would play differently if the main character were male? What would be different about it?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 24, 2023
- Cast : Agnieszka Grochowska , Adrian Delikta
- Director : Mateusz Rakowicz
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : May 30, 2023
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