Other Mommy (2026) – When Inner Demons Manifest Into Real Ones

Other Mommy may have a few jump scares, but it is more focused on being a family drama, with horror elements, than the other way around.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

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“Other Mommy” Film Details

  • Director(s): Rob Savage
  • Writer(s): Nathan Elston
  • Based On Work By: Josh Malerman
  • Source Material: Incidents Around the House
  • Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 33 Minutes
  • Public Release Date (In Theaters): October 9, 2026
  • Genre(s): Drama, Horror, Thriller
  • Content Rating: Rated R
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Movie Summary

Bela is prepping for another school year, as are her parents for their next wedding anniversary. However, it quickly becomes clear that something is off. Bela seems to have an imaginary friend, who is a little frightening, dubbed “Other Mommy” and it seems they know something Bela doesn’t, and wants to protect her from the truth.

However, Bela thinks everything is fine between her parents, Ursula and Russ. But considering the form the demon takes on, that should be the biggest hint that Ursula is hiding something from everyone.

Cast and Characters

  • Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark)
  • Ursula (Jessica Chastain)
  • Russ (Jay Duplass)

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

Other Mommy Can Be Genuinely Creepy [81/100]

At times, it was hard to say what drew Other Mommy to Bela. We’re told it is the innocence of a child, but why become the parent she doesn’t have the closest relationship with? It instantly makes things creepy, and the body horror the film uses pushes things to give you the creeps.

Now, could the film have taken it further, and really pushed Other Mommy’s goals of being let into Bela’s heart, or taking advantage of a vulnerable family? Yes. But, even without furthering how easy it could have been to exploit everyone, there is enough here to give you a slight grimacing look while watching.

A Drama With Horror Elements [82/100]

Other Mommy honestly could be stripped of its horror elements and still work as a film. At its heart is a family where the parents are trying to make their relationship work, but you can tell both are unhappy. This is why it can sometimes seem like Other Mommy is a manifestation of the negative emotions no one talks about, but Bela senses is there.

Ursula, who works all the time, seems potentially worried about money, maybe hates being a mom, and is using work to keep from spending time with Bela – who knows? Then with Russ, he is a stay-at-home dad or gets to work from home, and this means taking on the heavy load of raising a kid. Which isn’t to imply Bela is made to seem difficult at all. However, it can feel like there was a compromise made for Bela to exist, and Ursula may try to will herself into enjoying motherhood, but perhaps can’t?

A lot of horror movies feature unhappy families, but I feel like Other Mommy really decided to explore those feelings rather than simply use them to setup the demon having something to work with. Leaving you with a movie that seemed to understand how to implement horror to further the family’s dissonance rather than tack on horror elements because it would lead to better ticket sales.

On The Fence

How Does This Family Stand A Chance? [73/100]

While Other Mommy is shown to be a being who prefers the shadows, it is also an entity that can mimic people, warp reality, physically fight, and is capable of great violence. Explain to me how anyone in this family was supposed to survive that? Never mind, for part of the movie, it seems to be holding back. So when it decides to not do so, and little if anything seems capable of truly hurting it, seeing this family try to fight back, and at times hold off Other Mommy, felt like they weakened it just to keep the story going.

Overall

Our Rating (78/100): Mixed (Divisive)

Other Mommy is enjoyable if you’re willing to let go that this is not going to be as scary or creepy as the trailer advertises. It’s far more a family drama, with this demon preying on the family, because its dysfunction leaves the child insecure, vulnerable, and an easy target.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.