Other Mommy Trailer Reaction: Is It Really That Bad?

Other Mommy Trailer Was Just the Start — Now the Film’s Out and It’s a Mess

Jessica Chastain's new horror film Other Mommy has premiered, and the early reactions are split between derision and reluctant amusement. Critics call it a mess, with weak script, poor CGI, and ineffective jump scares. Only one performance stands out — the little girl’s. The film’s 50-jump-scare promise hasn’t held.

By Front Row8 Oct 20262 min read

Current hype level49

The trailer for Other Mommy — which played before The Odyssey in select theaters, didn’t just tease a horror film. It announced one with a premise so blunt it bordered on absurd: an eight-year-old girl, Bela, is stalked by a spectral figure from her closet that keeps asking, ‘Can I go inside your heart?’ The film, directed by Rob Savage and starring Jessica Chastain in a dual role as both the mother and the entity dubbed “Other Mommy,” has now premiered in front of audiences, and the early reactions are anything but reassuring.

Rotten Tomatoes’ Peter Gray called it an “INSIDIOUS-lite supernatural ‘horror’ flick” that’s “more silly than it is scary,” adding that despite one gory moment and Chastain’s committed performance, the film fails to deliver on tension or substance. The Jam Report’s Doug Jamieson echoed the sentiment, branding it “truly dreadful”. Not just for its weak script and lackluster jump scares, but for how seriously it takes itself.

He cited “awful CGI” and a finale that drew unintentional laughter multiple times. One user, @HerbSimon1986, acknowledged the film’s flaws but admitted it had a kind of guilty pleasure: “It’s a pure mess and masterfully cringe, but it’s also a bonker fun if you truly want something to kill your time at 3am.” Film critic Sean Patrick Kelly offered a slightly more generous take, suggesting the movie leans into familiar tropes, The Grudge, IT, Insidious.

But still lands as a chaotic mix of influences without cohesion. Another viewer, @AlPacin11, said the only thing worth watching was the young actress playing Bela, whose performance stood out amid what they described as “exhausting” direction and a script that failed to justify the buildup. They noted that even Chastain’s acting, often praised, felt off her usual form here.

The film’s marketing promised 50 jump scares, a number that hasn’t been met, according to audience reports. So while the trailer raised questions about tone and intent, the full film has delivered a verdict: it’s a high-concept idea undone by execution. Whether it finds an audience remains to be seen.