In response to the new horror releases from the past few weeks with embellished gore, magnified emotion, and campy violence, I chose to review something less wild and more interesting called Goodnight Mommy. (I'm referring to the gory campy horror films of Hellraiser, Pearl, and Halloween Ends.) Released on October 16th through Amazon Prime, Goodnight Mommy is a quiet, psychological, nervous horror film.
When two identical twin brothers return to their remote countryside home to reunite with their mother, seeds of doubt start to grow in the boy's minds when they see their mother's surgical face bandages, icy demeanor and hesitant affection.
Before anyone gets too excited, you should know this new film is an English language adaptation of the original Goodnight Mommy from Austria released in the U.S. in 2015 and spoken in German. This new English language version is thankfully not just an exact, shot-for-shot remake of the original. It leans into its own directions and its own moments of awkward, unsettling tension.
But because the English language version is produced specifically for mainstream American viewers, the creepiness and suspicion are far less acute and far less severe than the original. The actors give committed performances, and the curtailed use of music helps maintain a growing sense of unease as the twin boys start thinking the woman in their house is not their real mother but a vicious imposter.
This film's bite could have used a lot more teeth. So instead of enjoying this new English language version of Goodnight Mommy, I kept thinking to myself, "The original version is better." Now horror film lovers have a choice between these two films. One that's brilliantly patient, somber, and spooky.....and one for viewers who proclaim an allergy to subtitles.
