Other Mommy
Imagine a child's deepest fears made manifest, an entity that wears the face of comfort but whispers sinister intentions. "Other Mommy" delves into the chilling premise of a supernatural doppelgänger preying on a family's fractured dynamics. It's a story where the scariest monster isn't under the bed, but eerily resembles the person who tucks you in. The film explores the profound psychological impact of family dysfunction through the lens of supernatural horror, creating a deeply unsettling atmosphere. The 'Other Mommy' entity is a trickster demon that can only 'carnate' into the child with her explicit permission, making the daughter's internal struggle central to the narrative. The climactic confrontation reveals painful truths about parental resentment and the enduring strength of a child's resilience in overcoming a demonic threat.
AI Summary
Imagine a child's deepest fears made manifest, an entity that wears the face of comfort but whispers sinister intentions. "Other Mommy" delves into the chilling premise of a supernatural doppelgänger preying on a family's fractured dynamics. It's a story where the scariest monster isn't under the bed, but eerily resembles the person who tucks you in.
- The film explores the profound psychological impact of family dysfunction through the lens of supernatural horror, creating a deeply unsettling atmosphere.
- The 'Other Mommy' entity is a trickster demon that can only 'carnate' into the child with her explicit permission, making the daughter's internal struggle central to the narrative.
- The climactic confrontation reveals painful truths about parental resentment and the enduring strength of a child's resilience in overcoming a demonic threat.
When Fear Takes the Form of a Parent
In 2026, director Rob Savage brought Josh Malerman's chilling novel, "Incidents Around the House," to the big screen as "Other Mommy." This supernatural psychological horror film promised a fresh twist on the familiar doppelgänger trope, starring Academy Award-winner Jessica Chastain.
Chastain leads an impressive cast, including Jay Duplass as the father, and young Arabella Olivia Clark as their seven-year-old daughter. The film, produced by horror maestros James Wan and Blumhouse, set out to explore the terrifying consequences when a child's imagination becomes a gateway for something truly sinister.
A Family Under Strain
Our story centers on seven-year-old Isabella Martin, affectionately called Bella, who is struggling. A new school brings new anxieties, but it's the growing distance between her parents, Ursula and Russell, that truly weighs on her young heart.
Ursula, Bella's mother, is consumed by her demanding corporate career. Meanwhile, her father, Russ, embraces his role as an unemployed househusband, often the primary caretaker for Bella. Into this complex family dynamic steps a terrifying new presence: a supernatural entity resembling Ursula, which Bella names 'Other Mommy'—an entity that relentlessly demands to be let into her heart.
The Escalation of Terror
Initially, Other Mommy's appearances are confined to Bella's bedroom, but its presence grows steadily more menacing. Soon, it's not just a shadowy figure; it follows Bella, distorting its own shape and warping the very fabric of their home.
During a seemingly innocent family party, the entity unleashes its full power. Guests vanish without a trace, Bella is inexplicably lifted to the ceiling, and Other Mommy attempts a terrifying, forced entry into her soul. Bella's desperate punch shatters the illusion, returning her to the crowded room, but the message is clear: the danger is real and escalating.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the Martins flee to the home of Ursula's friend, Frank, hoping for safety. However, this change of scenery only brings existing family tensions to a boiling point, as Russ discovers evidence suggesting an affair between Ursula and Frank.
Manipulation and Betrayal
The entity, a master manipulator, exploits the family's raw emotions. It whispers to Bella, tempting her to wish Frank out of their lives forever. In a horrifying display of its power, Other Mommy then brutally kills Frank before the family's eyes, shrugging off his desperate gunshots.
The family's desperate flight continues to a mall restaurant, but there's no escape. Other Mommy attacks again, snatching Bella from the play area, teleporting her to her bedroom, and then to a desolate lake beneath a hilltop mansion. Here, the entity grows to a monstrous size, nearly crushing Bella with its gigantic hand.
In a cruel twist, the colossal Other Mommy whispers a devastating truth to Bella: Ursula never truly wanted her to exist. This psychological torment is profound, echoing a child's deepest fears of abandonment. After this ordeal, Bella is returned to her parents' car, leaving them no choice but to seek help from a family member with unconventional expertise: Grandma Ruth.
The Battle for Bella's Soul
Ruth, an experienced ghost fighter, offers shelter and enlists a team of seasoned ghost investigators. They quickly identify Other Mommy as a malevolent 'trickster demon'—a creature seeking to 'carnate,' or embody itself, into Bella and seize control of her life. Crucially, they discover it cannot do so without Bella's explicit permission.
As the investigators prepare for a séance, Ruth imparts a vital lesson to Bella: pain is an unavoidable, inherent part of life. The séance commences, summoning Other Mommy, but the investigators' tools prove useless. The demon mercilessly dispatches them, forcing the family to flee once more, with the entity's threats still ringing in Bella's ears.
Confrontation and Confession
Tired of running, the family makes a courageous decision: they return home to confront Other Mommy on their own turf. Their improvised weapons, however, are ineffective. Cornered, they barricade themselves in the basement, where raw truths finally surface.
In a heart-wrenching confession, Ursula admits her initial reluctance to have Bella, viewing the pregnancy as a loss of freedom. Yet, she fiercely asserts her love now, her desire to care for her daughter. She also reveals a past affair, having been married to another man when she met Russ—a secret that has festered for years.
A Daughter's Resilience
Ursula's painful admissions seem to weaken Other Mommy, but they shatter Bella. Devastated, she retreats to her bedroom, begging the entity to finally enter her heart. Other Mommy appears, promising Bella a life free from pain, a tempting solace in her moment of despair.
Yet, remembering Grandma Ruth's wisdom about pain being part of life, Bella finds a flicker of strength. She rejects the demon's insidious promise, fighting back with every ounce of her will. Repeatedly denying the entity permission to possess her, Bella triumphs, defeating Other Mommy through sheer defiance.
The Lingering Shadows
Months later, peace seems to have returned to the Martin household. Bella, Ursula, and Russ are seen happily decorating for Christmas, a picture of renewed family unity. However, a subtle detail hints at a deeper truth—Bella notices signs that Ursula's underlying unhappiness may be slowly resurfacing, suggesting some scars run deeper than the supernatural.
Behind the Scenes
Production for 'Other Mommy' kicked off in April 2025, with Rob Savage at the helm and Nathan Elston adapting the novel. Jessica Chastain was an early casting choice, followed by Jay Duplass. Principal photography took place in the picturesque city of Dublin, Ireland, from May 12 to July 9, 2025.
The film, originally known by its novel's title, underwent a change to 'Other Mommy' during production. It eventually premiered in the United States on October 9, 2026, after an initial earlier release date was postponed.
Critical Reception
Despite its intriguing premise and stellar cast, 'Other Mommy' struggled at the box office, grossing $51 million worldwide against its debut of $27.5 million in the US and Canada. Critically, the film received a largely negative reception.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported only 16% positive reviews from 73 critics, with an average score of 4.5/10. Metacritic, using a weighted average, assigned it a score of 40 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating 'generally unfavorable' reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore were equally unimpressed, awarding the film a 'D+'.
Critics struggled with the film's tone; The New York Times notably called it a 'sometimes-creepy, sometimes-hilarious schlockfest,' openly questioning, 'What is the other mommy supposed to be?' The consensus seemed to be that despite Jessica Chastain's dedicated performance, the film ultimately leaned too much into silliness for its jump scares to land effectively.
Article
Other Mommy
Other Mommy is a 2026 American supernatural psychological horror film directed by Rob Savage from a screenplay by Nathan Elston, based on the 2024 novel Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. The film stars Jessica Chastain as a mother who must do everything to protect her seven-year-old daughter (Arabella Olivia Clark) from a supernatural entity that resembles her. Jay Duplass also stars, as the father, while Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, Sean Kaufman, and Karen Allen play supporting roles.
Principal photography began in May 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. James Wan served as a producer through his Blumhouse–Atomic Monster banner. Other Mommy was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on October 9, 2026. The film received negative reviews from critics, and has grossed $51 million at the worldwide box office.
Plot
Other Mommy
Seven-year-old Isabella Martin, nicknamed Bella, struggles to adjust to a new school and cope with the growing distance between her parents. Her mother, Ursula, is consumed by her corporate career, while her father, Russell, nicknamed Russ, is an unemployed househusband who spends much of his time caring for Bella. Bella begins encountering a supernatural entity resembling her mother that she calls Other Mommy. The entity repeatedly asks to be let into her heart.
Other Mommy's appearances grow increasingly frightening as it follows Bella beyond her bedroom, changes shape, and distorts its surroundings. At a family party, it seemingly makes every guest disappear, lifts Bella to the ceiling, and attempts to force its way into her. Bella punches it away and falls back into the crowded room. Recognizing the danger, her parents take her to stay with Ursula's friend Frank.
At Frank's house, Bella finds Ursula's contact lens case, leading Russ to suspect that Ursula is having an affair with Frank. That night, Other Mommy exploits the family's tensions and manipulates Bella into wishing Frank out of their lives. It then kills Frank in front of the family, surviving the gunshots he fires at it. The family flees to a mall restaurant, but Other Mommy attacks again, transporting Bella from the play area to her bedroom and then to a lake beneath a hilltop mansion. There, the entity grows enormous and nearly crushes Bella with its gigantic hand. It tells Bella that Ursula never wanted her to exist before returning her to the family's car. Her parents take her to the home of her grandmother, Ruth, who has experience fighting ghosts.
Ruth shelters the family and hires ghost investigators, who identify Other Mommy as a trickster demon seeking to "carnate" into Bella and take over her life. However, it cannot do so without her permission. As the investigators prepare their equipment, Ruth tells Bella that pain is an unavoidable part of life. The team's séance summons Other Mommy, but the investigators prove powerless against it and are killed. The family escapes as the entity continues threatening Bella.
Determined to stop running, the family returns home to confront Other Mommy. Their weapons prove ineffective, forcing them to barricade themselves in the basement. There, Ursula admits that she never wanted to have Bella and initially saw the pregnancy as a loss of freedom. Nevertheless, she insists that she loves her daughter and wants to care for her. Ursula also reveals she was married to another man when she met Russ and began an affair with him.
Ursula's confession appears to weaken Other Mommy, but it devastates Bella, who runs to her bedroom and begs the entity to enter her heart. Other Mommy appears and promises that Bella will never experience pain again. Remembering Ruth's lesson, Bella rejects the promise and fights back, repeatedly denying the entity permission until she defeats it.
Months later, Bella, Ursula, and Russ happily hang Christmas lights together. However, Bella notices signs that Ursula's unhappiness is returning.
Cast
Other Mommy
• Jessica Chastain as Ursula Martin, Bella's mother and Russ' wife • Chastain also portrays the "Other Mommy", a supernatural entity • Arabella Olivia Clark as Isabella "Bella" Martin, a young girl targeted by the Other Mommy • Jay Duplass as Russell "Russ" Martin, Bella's father and Ursula's husband • Dichen Lachman as Lois, an exorcist • Arian Moayed as Frank • Karen Allen as Grandma Ruth Martin, Ursula's mother and Bella's grandmother • Sean Kaufman as Kelvin • Adam Silver • Rosie Anne O’Gorman
Production
Other Mommy
In April 2025, it was announced that an adaptation of the novel Incidents Around the House was in development, with Rob Savage directing, Nathan Elston writing the screenplay, and Jessica Chastain starring in the lead role. In May, Jay Duplass joined the cast. Principal photography took place in Dublin, Ireland between May 12 and July 9, 2025. Dichen Lachman joined the cast in the following month. In July, Arabella Olivia Clark, Sean Kaufman, Adam Silver, Rosie Anne O'Gorman and Karen Allen were added to the cast with the film being retitled to Other Mommy.
Release
Other Mommy
Other Mommy was released in the United States on October 9, 2026. The film was previously scheduled to release on May 8, 2026.
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, the film debuted at $27.5 million.
Critical response
The film was panned by critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 16% of 73 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Despite a valiant turn from Jessica Chastain as the spectral embodiment of a smothering parent, Other Mommy proves too silly for its intermittently effective jump scares to add up to a spooky whole." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 40 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D+" on an A+ to F scale.
The New York Times called the film a "sometimes-creepy, sometimes-hilarious schlockfest", and questions "What is the other mommy supposed to be?"