Other Mommy Opens to Negative Early Reviews

Other Mommy opened in theaters October 9, drawing largely negative early reviews and criticism from some viewers who said the horror film’s scares and execution fell short. The film stars Jessica Chastain and adapts Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House. Its early Rotten Tomatoes score was reported at 19% by one account and 20% by another on opening day; both figures were preliminary and could change as more reviews arrived. The film follows Bela, a young girl haunted by an entity called Other Mommy, which often takes the form of her mother, Ursula. The presence repeatedly asks to enter Bela’s heart, presenting itself as a way to end the child’s sadness and repair her family. Chastain plays both Ursula and the entity, while Rob Savage directed the adaptation. A central criticism in one review was that the film reveals its monster too often. The reviewer argued that frequent appearances, including the creature’s grotesque shape-shifting, reduce suspense and make some scenes feel campy. The same review said the adults become aware of the entity early, weakening the tension of a dangerous presence hiding among them.