Goodnight Mommy

Goodnight Mommy is an American remake of Austrian horror film from 2014 that goes by the same name (Goodnight Mommy (2014) original title "Ich seh, Ich seh"

I usually don't like American remakes and much prefer the original source in most movies. But this one isn't bad. I think it was well casted. Naomi Watts plays the mom and the Crovetti brothers play Elias and Lucas.

The acting performances were very good. Naomi Watts is a phenomenal actress in everything she does. The Crovetti brothers did extremely well.

But I still feel the original film is the best of the two. In this American version, several scenes are missing from the original film. I think they might have done that to keep the runtime shorter. But unfortunately, this remake doesn't have the same bite and unnerving tension of the original. The original film really made you feel uneasy. This one seems to lack uneasiness, uncomfortable dread of what would happen.

Unfortunately, if you watched this one first, then you will know the plot twist and you might not experience the same enjoyment I did when I first watched the original years ago. But if you haven't seen neither of them, then watch the original first. The original is a proper horror tale.

Summary: Lukas and Elias, twin boys, arrive to their mother's country house at the start of the film. They are shocked to find their mother wrapped in a surgical mask when they first arrive. She says that she had surgery and would likely be out of it in some time.

Boys begin to notice their mother's changes. She has turned controlling, aggressive, and less loving. Boys start looking into the woman behind the medical mask to find out who she really is.

Overall my views: Goodnight Mommy is a psychological thriller and I loved the fact, this movie mentally makes you crave and watch the agony and violence. I loved the characters and everything. I enjoyed thoroughly. Since the Ring series, Naomi Watts has been my favourite actor. Despite the fact that she is still bright and attractive. Her acting is sincere and conjures up reality. The concept behind this film was really great. However, it has the drawback of being badly written and directed. There are certain portions that leave me uncertain and confused. It all makes sense in the end, as the conclusion shows, but throughout the film, I felt like there was a thrill missing. Since the boy's characters are revolting against the lady acting as their mother, I had anticipated more confrontations between them.

RECOMMENDATION: I would recommend this movie more than 1 time.

Elias and Lucas arrive at their mother's house, to find her wearing a mask, and feeling very much like a stranger.

Once again, we get another remake, another remake that pales in comparison compared to its source material. The Austrian film is Chilling and unnerving, this was quite a pale remake.

No issues at all with the acting, competently performed, with a strong performance from the excellent Naomi Watts, and very good acting from the boys also.

They could have upped the horror vibe a few degrees, it just doesn't grip the viewer, for a so called horror, it's all too flat, and by the time something happens, the film is almost over.

Some good special effects, the nightmare sequences looked really good, but such horror moments were too few and far between.

Just watch the original, it's far superior.

5/10.

It's not a shot-by-shot remake. Some visuals from the original (Austrian Version) remain, but they don't pack the same punch. While the twist in the remake did differ slightly from the original, it wasn't enough for Goodnight Mommy (2022) to stand more solidly on its own. The terror that's revealed in the Austrian version of the film is extremely exaggerated, but it gives the audience an idea of how obsessive familial ties can be and how dangerous ideas can take hold to shocking conclusions. Goodnight Mommy (2022)'s finale does not deliver that same shock.

Yes, the horror may be reduced. You can even nitpick at the twist that may be far from the original. Yet, Goodnight Mommy's surprisingly suspenseful journey and understated twist on the genre outweigh its faults. It's not especially memorable, but it's not bad either.

What would you do, if your mother felt like new, didn't act the way she should, behaved like mother never would, like a stranger in the house, makes you feel like a small mouse, quite aggressive and quite cold, not like the one you knew of old.

Elias and Lucas struggle to come to terms with their mother when she re-joins them after a period of hospitalisation. Taking matters into their own hands they explore a variety of ways to unmask their doppelganger and expose the truth.

A remake of a far more powerful Austrian film that avoids super glue, cockroaches and cats, to settle for a more palatable finale that ultimately quenches the dynamic and leaves it somewhat neutered, albeit well performed and passable.