Matt Sobel’s film is a far cry from the Austrian movie that impressed it, however it hits sufficient creepy horror beats to get the job executed.
For many horror remakes, even mediocrity is a decent end result. By now, each horror fan ought to know the sensation of strolling right into a remake with modest expectations, then strolling out feeling extra dissatisfied than thought attainable.
“Goodnight Mommy” largely succeeds in its quest to keep away from that destiny. Matt Sobel’s reimagining of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s 2014 Austrian movie of the identical identify by no means tries to reinvent the wheel, however whereas it lacks the efficiency of the unique movie, it manages to maintain horror lovers entertained with out ever embarrassing itself.
Lukas and Elias (Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti) can’t catch a break. The movie begins with their divorced dad dropping them off at their mom’s nation property, although he stays within the automobile to keep away from confronting her. When the 2 boys wander inside, it’s clear their mother (Naomi Watts) was unprepared for his or her go to and doesn’t appear largely enthusiastic about spending time with them. This results in a moderately chilly existence for the boys, who’re prohibited from getting into sure rooms of the home, pressured to maintain the blinds closed, and left to their very own units with out a lot to do. Oh, and there’s the truth that their mother had main beauty surgical procedure with out telling them, and now has to maintain her face coated in bandages. So that they’re primarily being raised by a mummy.
The boys are instantly struck by how a lot she has modified, starting to take a position about whether or not the lady behind the bandages is definitely their mom. They begin noticing particulars, together with that her eyes seem to have modified colours, which solely pours gasoline on these suspicions. Their mistrust causes this lady, who could or might not be their mom, to start out behaving erratically. Should you suspect your youngsters are afraid of you, placing their cellphone down the rubbish disposal and forcibly spraying them with chilly water is unlikely to clean issues over.
The stress in the home finally turns into insufferable, and the twins run away. They’re finally picked up by the police, who don’t imagine their tales of abuse and return them to their mom’s home. This solely makes issues worse, till the state of affairs reaches a boiling level once they tie their mom to her mattress and refuse to let her go till they get the reality. Irrespective of how darkish that reality could also be.
Sobel must be counseled for telling a compelling story with out a lot filmmaking pizazz, letting pure pressure emerge from the upsetting premise and the depressingly sterile home these youngsters discover themselves dwelling in. One dream sequence the place Watts removes her pores and skin to disclose a Xenomorph-esque creature beneath is delightfully grotesque, however that second stands out as an anomaly in a movie that succeeds by counting on its bizarre vibes. The creepy film largely suffers when it tries to shift gears and ship precise terror, and a few of its most “brutal” scenes function reminders of the way it pales compared to the work that impressed it. A number of the most putting photos within the unique “Goodnight Mommy” see the 2 boys torturing their mom for data, however Sobel’s rendition of these scenes is innocent by comparability. The result’s a movie that creates a satisfactory backdrop for a horror film however by no means fairly delivers the highs it guarantees.
Nonetheless, so far as horror remakes go, “Goodnight Mommy” is actually one of many much less egregious ones. The antiseptic manufacturing design and gray digital images that bathroom down so many comparable tasks really feel acceptable in a narrative about folks attempting to maneuver on from divorce and loss of life. The performing is strong, even when the children are by no means fairly creepy sufficient to persuade us that they might actually be the aggressors that they finally flip into. The script is well-structured, losing no time in organising the motion however letting its twist ending unfold at its personal tempo. It’s a movie that seemingly goals to be common, however in contrast to so many different remakes, it truly achieves that aim.
Grade: B-
“Goodnight Mommy” is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.