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Mother
Mother Image
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Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 28 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Bin Won, Hye-ja Kim
  • Summary: The latest film from award-winning Korean director Bong Joon-ho (The Host) is a unique murder mystery about a mother's primal love for her son. Mother is a devoted single parent to her simple-minded twenty-seven-year-old son, Do-joon. Often a source of anxiety to his mother, Do-joon behaves in foolish or simply dangerous ways. One night, while walking home drunk, he encounters a school girl who he follows for a while before she disappears into a dark alley. The next morning, she is found dead in an abandoned building and Do-joon is accused of her murder. An inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force result in a speedy conviction. His mother refuses to believe her beloved son is guilty and immediately undertakes her own investigation to find the girl’s killer. In her obsessive quest to clear her son’s name, Mother steps into a world of unimaginable chaos and shocking revelations. (Magnolia Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Amy Biancolli
    100
    An alluring piece of work, an artful whodunit that melds shrewd plotting with resourceful camera work and sympathetic characters that are fascinatingly, morbidly off.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    100
    Another must-see marvel of horror, comedy, and impeccable filmmaking by the Korean director Bong Joon-ho.
  3. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Barbara Goslawski
    60
    Bong's stylistic embellishment of the simple tale of a mother who will do anything to protect her son is breathtaking.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. jessetaylor25
    10
    South Korean cinema has always been my favourite. They've produced such gems as "Oldboy", "Samaritan Girl" and "A Tale of Two Sisters" and none of them ever cease to amaze me. Joon-ho Bong's "Mother" reminds me of the Coen Brothers' "Fargo" (one of my all-time favourite films) in many ways. It juggles genres effortlessly and excels in every single one of them. At times, "Mother" is a hair-raising thriller, but at other times it has wonderfully witty comedic tones. At its heart, however, the film is an oddball murder mystery led by an incredibly beautiful performance from South Korean soap opera star Hye-ja Kim. Edited and shot with dynamic precision, "Mother" is not only too gorgeous for words, it's also easily one of the best films of 2010.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. Halfwelshman
    9
    Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho returns with yet another masterful revisionist genre film. He's already tackled the murder-mystery (Memories of Murder) and the monster movie (The Host), now he turns his hand to the thriller. On the face of it, Mother doesn't appear to have much in common with run-of-the mill thrill-rides, but like it's title character, the film can be deceptive. What could be more thrilling than a Mother's desperate (and sometimes morally questionable) journey to prove her son's innocence? Mother is a taut, grounded psychological thriller with a liberal dose of Bong's trademark jet-black comedy. There are numerous heart-pounding moments, but also plenty of quieter, well-placed emotional beats to bring you crashing back down to reality. Bong continues to prove he is a master of character - and the mother (Kim Hye-ja) and mentally ill son Doo-joon (Won Bin) are among his finest creations to date. Kim is simply mesmerising throughout, and while some of the mother's actions are questionable (and others downright evil), you're always on her side - it's a great character. Another fine film a Korean master.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. DarthCritic
    1
    Awful, just plain awful. I could not even finish this movie. I tried to watch it for three nights in a row and only got through about half of it total. Don't bother.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 6 User Reviews

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