Rotten Tomatoes rift: critics and audiences clash on Jessica Chastain’s 'Other Mommy' horror
Rotten Tomatoes critics are down on Jessica Chastain’s Other Mommy, while audiences are more split on the horror film — a divide worth watching.
Early numbers aren’t kind: the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer sits at 17% from 29 critic reviews, with many calling out undercooked lore, choppy pacing, and scares that don’t build much tension. Several notices argue the movie leans so hard on loud jolts that the story gets pushed to the background.
Here’s what that story is: in Other Mommy, eight-year-old Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) starts seeing an entity that looks and sounds exactly like her mother, Ursula — both played by Jessica Chastain. The film is directed by Rob Savage and adapted from Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House, and it brings Chastain back to horror after Mama and It: Chapter Two. Savage has said to expect a barrage of jump scares, and there are plenty.
At a glance
- Director — Rob Savage
- Source — Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House
- Stars — Jessica Chastain (Ursula and the entity), Arabella Olivia Clark (Bela)
- Tomatometer — 17% from 29 reviews (at publication time)
What viewers are saying
The audience response is more mixed than the critics’, with some moviegoers frustrated by the plotting and others showing up for the ride.
“Have a hard time giving it 1/2 star. It is horrible and a waste of a talented actress like Jessica Chastain. It has a ridiculous plot line that is more stupefying than frightening,” wrote @KryptonKid.
“A good idea ruined by too many silly jumpscares and bad writing,” Camila F wrote.
On the flip side, several viewers singled out Clark’s work as Bela and the creature effects, arguing the movie’s chaos is part of its big-screen appeal.
“This movie doesn’t take many stops, its a fun ride all the way through, gets silly sometimes but for the most part this entity is relentless and doesn’t hide,” one reviewer said.
“I do not understand why this film is getting so much hate. We finally get a unique story about an unknown entity that isn't demonic and people are absolutely against it for some reason,” Daniel L commented.
Audience ratings are still rolling in, which will tell us whether the word of mouth evens out or keeps the split intact.