Updated 10 October 2026. Other Mommy is a supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage and starring Jessica Chastain. Other Mommy reviews have been largely negative so far: Rotten Tomatoes lists the film at 20% from 20 critic reviews, while Metacritic gives it 39/100 from 11 reviews. Is the Other Mommy movie good? It depends on what you want: viewers seeking a tight, unsettling story may find it uneven, while fans of frantic supernatural set pieces may still enjoy parts of it. The film is based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel Incidents Around the House, but makes major changes, including a different ending.

Other Mommy at a glance

The release, runtime, rating and cast details come from the film’s listing on Rotten Tomatoes and other film-industry sources. Rotten Tomatoes scores are dynamic, so the figures above are a dated snapshot, not a permanent rating.

What is the Other Mommy movie about?

Other Mommy follows Bela, an eight-year-old girl who encounters a disturbing presence in her home. She calls it Other Mommy because it looks and sounds like her mother, Ursula. What begins as a frightening presence becomes a threat to Bela and her family as the entity’s appearances grow more aggressive.

Jessica Chastain plays Ursula and the entity that imitates her. Arabella Olivia Clark plays Bela, while Jay Duplass plays Bela’s father, Russell. The premise places supernatural danger alongside tension within the family, making the threat personal: the creature is not just hiding in the house, but taking the shape of someone Bela trusts.

The film was directed by Rob Savage, whose previous work includes Host and The Boogeyman. Nathan Elston wrote the screenplay, adapting Malerman’s novel, and James Wan is listed as a producer. Universal Pictures released the film theatrically in the United States on 9 October 2026.

Cast and characters

The cast list is based on Rotten Tomatoes and Universal Pictures’ film information.

Is the Other Mommy movie good?

The most accurate short answer is: critics have generally not liked it, but your reaction may depend on your taste in horror. At the time checked, Rotten Tomatoes showed a 20% Tomatometer from 20 critics, and Metacritic gave it a score of 39/100 from 11 critic reviews. Both indicate a weak critical reception, though neither score can tell you exactly how you will feel about the film.

Several recurring criticisms appear in reviews: the story’s structure feels uneven, the jump scares become repetitive, and the film’s tone shifts between serious horror and comedy in ways some critics found distracting. Variety’s review, for example, criticized the film’s frenetic style and tonal inconsistency. The Hollywood Reporter described it as visually striking in places but lacking the sustained build-up and coherent mythology needed to make its scares land.

There are also reasons some viewers may find it entertaining. The fast pace, supernatural imagery and Chastain’s dual performance give the film moments of visual energy. Audience reactions are mixed rather than uniformly negative: Rotten Tomatoes lists verified user ratings, and the early reactions include both viewers who enjoyed the scares and viewers who thought the story did not deliver.

What critics praise and criticize

These are themes visible in published reviews, not a universal audience verdict. Individual viewers may place greater value on the performances, imagery or scare sequences than on narrative coherence.

Who might enjoy it?

The movie may be a better fit if you:

• Enjoy supernatural horror built around a child’s fear and a threatening presence at home.
• Prefer brisk pacing and frequent scare sequences to a long, slow-burn build.
• Want to see Jessica Chastain take on a dual role.
• Are open to campy or uneven horror that still offers striking scenes.

It may be less satisfying if you prefer carefully explained supernatural rules, a consistently serious tone, or horror that relies on atmosphere more than repeated jump scares. This is a viewing guide based on the film’s reported style and critical reception, not a promise about your personal reaction.

Other Mommy Rotten Tomatoes score

At the time of checking on 10 October 2026, Rotten Tomatoes listed Other Mommy at 20% on the Tomatometer, based on 20 critic reviews. The site described the film as playing in theatres and listed it as a 93-minute horror, mystery and thriller title.

That number is the percentage of counted critic reviews classified as positive, not a rating of 2/10 and not an average audience score. A 20% Tomatometer means that, among the reviews included at that moment, a minority were classified as positive. Rotten Tomatoes’ score can change as additional eligible reviews are added or classifications are updated.

It is also important not to confuse the Tomatometer with the Popcornmeter. The Tomatometer reflects critics’ reviews; the Popcornmeter reflects verified audience ratings. The Rotten Tomatoes page showed audience reviews and verified ratings separately, so check the live listing if you need the latest audience figure.

Why do scores vary across websites?

Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic do not report the same kind of score:

• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: the share of counted critic reviews marked positive.
• Metacritic Metascore: a weighted score based on critics’ review ratings.
• Audience scores: viewer ratings, gathered and displayed separately from critic scores.

For Other Mommy, Rotten Tomatoes showed 20% from 20 critic reviews in the fetched listing, while Metacritic showed 39/100 from 11 critic reviews. These numbers are not contradictory: they use different methods and review samples.

Other Mommy reviews: what are critics saying?

The early critical response is mostly negative, but reviews do not all make the same argument. Some fault the film for excessive jump scares and thin characterization; others acknowledge its visual ambition or the energy of particular sequences.

Variety’s review criticized the film’s tonal shifts and repeated scare pattern, arguing that its frantic pace does not build lasting tension. The Hollywood Reporter also questioned whether the film creates enough dread for its scares to have a lasting effect. Those assessments help explain why the movie has a low Tomatometer, but they are individual critical judgments rather than objective facts about every viewer’s experience.

Metacritic’s score of 39/100 reflects a weighted aggregation of 11 critic reviews and labels the overall reception “Generally Unfavorable.” Its page also shows a small number of user ratings, which are separate from the critic score and can change over time.

Is Other Mommy scary?

It has supernatural imagery, sudden appearances and jump scares, but reviews suggest the film may not sustain a strong atmosphere of dread for everyone. If you are especially sensitive to jump scares, consider that the film uses them frequently. If you prefer quiet, slow-building horror, the pacing and style may feel more hectic than frightening.

Does the film have an age rating?

Rotten Tomatoes lists the U.S. rating as R, for language and some bloody violence. Ratings differ by country; check your local cinema or film-classification authority for the rating where you live.

Is the Other Mommy movie based on a book?

Yes. Other Mommy is based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 horror novel Incidents Around the House. Penguin Random House describes the novel as the inspiration for the movie and identifies Malerman as its author. The book was published in hardcover and ebook on 25 June 2024, followed by a paperback edition on 3 June 2025.

The novel follows eight-year-old Bela, who is haunted by an entity that repeatedly asks to enter her heart. The premise, Bela’s family and the central supernatural threat carry over to the film, but the adaptation changes important scenes and the ending.penguinrandomhouse+1

If you want the full story as Malerman wrote it, read the book separately from watching the movie. The novel’s first-person narration keeps readers close to Bela’s child perspective, while the film tells the story through a visual, ensemble format. The publisher lists the hardcover at 384 pages and the paperback at 400 pages.

Book and movie differences

The film is an adaptation, not a scene-for-scene reproduction. Variety’s comparison identifies several substantial changes, including the creature’s presentation, a séance sequence, a new set piece involving a ball pit, a graphic scene involving Frank, and a substantially different conclusion.

Spoilers ahead: the next section reveals major plot differences and the ending of both the film and the book.

Spoilers: movie ending versus book ending

In the film, Bela refuses to let Other Mommy enter her heart. That refusal helps defeat the entity, and the ending shows the family together afterward. The conclusion is considerably more hopeful than the novel’s ending.

In Malerman’s book, Bela eventually agrees to let the entity enter her heart after the creature has killed her family and she is left alone. The entity takes over Bela’s body, while Bela is displaced into the entity’s realm. Variety characterizes the novel’s ending as much darker than the film’s.

The difference changes the emotional meaning of the story. The film ends with resistance and family survival; the book ends with isolation and possession. Readers who value the source novel’s bleakness may find the movie’s resolution a major departure, while viewers who prefer a more reassuring horror ending may welcome the change.

This comparison follows Variety’s published account of the adaptation’s differences.

Movie facts for viewers

Release date and where to watch

Universal’s official movie page announced a U.S. theatrical release on 9 October 2026. Rotten Tomatoes lists the film as currently in theatres and includes viewing information on its page. Availability will vary by country and can change as theatrical and streaming arrangements develop. Tour del Triángulo Dorado con Udaipur

At the time of checking, Rotten Tomatoes’ page displayed theatrical availability and a streaming option for AMC+ in its listing. That information may be region-specific or change, so confirm availability through the relevant service in your location.

Runtime and rating

The film runs approximately 1 hour 33 minutes and is rated R in the United States for language and some bloody violence, according to Rotten Tomatoes. These are U.S. listing details, not a substitute for local classification information.

Is it suitable for children?

Despite focusing on an eight-year-old character, Other Mommy is not presented as a children’s film. The U.S. R rating and listed language and bloody violence make it more suitable for adult viewers and older audiences who are comfortable with horror. Check your local classification and the sensitivities of the specific viewer before choosing it.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Other Mommy movie good?

Critics have generally responded negatively: Rotten Tomatoes showed 20% from 20 critic reviews and Metacritic showed 39/100 from 11 reviews at the time checked. Some viewers may still enjoy Chastain’s performance, the visual set pieces and the jump scares.

What is the Rotten Tomatoes score for Other Mommy?

Rotten Tomatoes listed a 20% Tomatometer based on 20 critic reviews when checked on 10 October 2026. Scores can change as more reviews are added, so the live Rotten Tomatoes page is the best place to confirm the current number.

Is Other Mommy based on a book?

Yes. The film is based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel Incidents Around the House. The publisher identifies it as the inspiration for the film.

Is the movie faithful to the book?

It follows the book’s central premise and characters but changes major details. Most notably, the film gives Bela a more hopeful ending, while the novel concludes with her agreeing to the entity’s request and being displaced from her body.

Who stars in Other Mommy?

The main cast includes Jessica Chastain, Arabella Olivia Clark and Jay Duplass, with Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed and Karen Allen in supporting roles.

How long is Other Mommy?

Rotten Tomatoes lists the runtime as 1 hour and 33 minutes.

What is Other Mommy rated?

The U.S. listing is R for language and some bloody violence. Ratings may differ outside the United States.

Does the film have a happy ending?

The movie’s ending is more hopeful than the book’s: Bela refuses the entity and the family survives. The book’s ending is much darker.

Final verdict

Other Mommy has a strong, easy-to-grasp horror premise and a central dual performance from Jessica Chastain, but its critical reception is poor so far. The main reported drawbacks are its uneven structure, repetitive scares and tonal inconsistency. If those weaknesses matter less to you than unusual monster imagery and a brisk horror ride, you may still find it entertaining; if you are hoping for a faithful version of the book’s bleak story, be aware that the film changes the ending substantially.

For accurate updates, check the official Universal Pictures movie page, the Rotten Tomatoes listing, the Metacritic reviews page and the publisher’s page for Incidents Around the House.