Want more recommendations for your family?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration
You Are Not My Mother
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Bullying, creepy imagery in unsettling Irish horror movie.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
You Are Not My Mother
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, Char (Hazel Doupe) is a bright teenager living with her distant grandmother, Rita (Ingrid Craigie), and mentally ill mother, Angela (Carolyn Bracken), in a rundown home in a Dublin suburb. A few days before Halloween, Angela gives Char a ride to school, and after nearly getting into an accident on the way, she goes missing after dropping Char off. After a frantic search, including an unpleasant interaction with the school bullies who make Char's life even more miserable, Angela returns the following evening with no explanation as to what happened. Angela is given a new collection of prescription medication, but it doesn't take Char long to see that something is seriously wrong with her mother. Rita and Char begin to suspect that there's something far more sinister at work here than mental illness, an evil rooted in Irish folklore concerning wicked changelings. Char must find a way to figure out who or what is really inhabiting her mother's body and to save Angela, even if it means killing her.
Is It Any Good?
This is an unsettling Irish horror movie that masterfully blends the real and the supernatural. You Are Not My Mother is as much a story of growing up and the ravages of mental illness on individuals and their loved ones as it is a creepy story of demonic possession rooted in legend and folklore. Hazel Doupe is perfect as Char, a teen growing up in a bleak Dublin suburb -- bullied at school and contending with a mentally ill mother at home before things take an even more traumatic turn. Char comes across as likable, a good kid in situations that are bad in both typical and not-so-typical ways.
Many movies, and horror movies especially, have a tough time trying to balance the real with the fantastic, either getting one right at the expense of the other, failing at both, or resorting to clichés. In You Are Not My Mother, the real and the fantastic perfectly set each other off. The struggles of growing up in not-so-good situations offset and heighten the disturbing moments, of which there are more than a few. This is one of the better horror movies out there, and one not easily forgotten.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about horror movies like You Are Not My Mother. How is this similar to and different from other horror movies you've seen in terms of violence, creepy imagery, and gore?
How does the movie address real-life topics like growing up, mental illness, and bullying?
How is Char similar to and different from other teen characters in horror and coming-of-age movies?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 21, 2022
- Cast: Hazel Doupe , Carolyn Bracken , Ingrid Craigie
- Director: Kate Dolan
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Hulu
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: High School , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 93 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: December 1, 2022
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate