Mother
User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 37
  3. Negative: 2 out of 37

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  1. Nesbitt10
    Feb 7, 2013
    8
    "Mother" is a South Korean film by Bong Joon-ho, his first after "The Host" (2006). That was a popular thriller about a giant squid, created by toxic waste, who dragged away a victim. Her family members learn she's still alive, but can't get the authorities to listen. Once again, in "Mother," blood ties go up against the state.
    The mother of the title, played by respected South Korean act    ress Kim Hye-ja, is a force of nature. In a village, she runs a little shop selling herbs, roots and spices. Her sideline is prescribing herbal cures. Her son Do-jun (Weon Bin), in his late 20s, lives at home and they sleep in the same bed. He's a few fries short of a happy meal. Early in the film, he's saved from death in traffic when his mother races to the rescue."Mother" is an alluring piece of work, an artful whodunit that melds shrewd plotting with resourceful camera work and sympathetic characters that are fascinatingly, morbidly off.
    "Mother" deftly weaves a story about mother's love into a mystery thriller that will keep you guessing every step of the way, with enough emotional firepower to twist a knot in your stomach when the story plays out. After a night of drinking and waiting for his long time friend, he finds himself in some serious trouble. The next morning is accused of murdering a young woman on his way home, and he has no recollection of whether or not he did. The case has enough evidence to be closed quickly, but his mother refuses to believe that her son could do such an act. So she pushes forward and starts her own investigation to find the real killer and free her son.
    The film is labyrinthine and deceptive, and not in a way we anticipate. It becomes a pleasure for the mind. Long after a conventional thriller would have its destination in plain sight, "Mother" is still penetrating our assumptions. So much depends on Kim Hye-ja's performance as a remorseless parent defending her fledgling. Likely she has spent years helping her clueless son escape one dilemma after another, and now she rises to the great occasion of her life. Her struggle is made more difficult because the police find it child's play to extract a confession from him. There are twists aplenty and if some of the deductions arrive too easily as a result of contrived clues and convenient witness testimony. "Mother" delights in confounding viewer expectations. In fact, just when you think it's over, a couple of plot developments remain lurking around the next corner.
    The film mostly progresses with remarkable clarity and visual wit, drawing surprise and suspense out of unexpected places. Hong Kyeong-pyo's cinematography peers at the dead girl, folded over a balcony, through her own legs; it regards the smooshed face of a drunken Do-joon from beneath a glass table; it follows Mother's eyeball as she snoops on a pair of lovers and then averts her gaze. Joon-ho Bong's unique style of old and modern approaches to film making--his stylistic and subtle ability to weave this tale, and his rather disturbing use of dark humor- that makes this film stand out. With stellar performances from a rather impressive cast that Bong uses well. "Mother" slowly burns its way towards revelations and depths of a characters soul that most dramatic thrillers shy away from. "Mother," and South Korean films in general, provide a case study of the situation of alternative films. Many Americans have never seen a South Korean film and never will.
    The most surprising aspect of "Mother" is how differently it begins, and from what it becomes. The first 30 minutes mislead us into anticipating a black comedy about social injustice in South Korea as we follow the misadventures of a simple-minded young man whose relationship with his mother is close enough to be considered sickening. A deftness of touch is required for a director to switch direction so suddenly in mid-stream, and Bong's execution of this 90-degree turn is not jarring at all either. Unique and weirdly compelling in its entirety, "Mother" concludes in a manner that solves all (or nearly all) outstanding riddles.    … Expand
  2. Andys_Reviews
    Dec 17, 2012
    9
    I must say I found this a really great watch! Aside from the many cultural nuances, of which there are many, I found it a riveting tale with some very nice twists. Beautifully shot with a very nice musical score by Byung-woo Lee, I found it easy to follow (despite the inconvenience of subtitles). All the performances were excellent but I must pull out Hye-ja Kim for her tremendous portrayal of this driven woman, a great piece of work! Over all, it… Expand
  3. nutterjr
    Sep 22, 2012
    7
    A wonderful thriller, unraveled masterfully by a director destined to leave a strong legacy in the Korean cinematic history, with exceptional performance by Hye-ja Kim playing the mother whose protective instincts drive her to extremes.
  4. Halfwelshman
    Oct 21, 2011
    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
  5. Zeedraak
    Jun 6, 2011
    6
    It is a very strange movie. The way the mother is treated makes you wonder how the Koreans treat each other in normal life. It is also a creepy movie, not really a thriller or horror movie, but the movie oozes an atmosphere of gloom and doom. And the ending is surprising. Recommended.
  6. jessetaylor25
    Apr 9, 2011
    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
  7. toddzuniga
    Jan 17, 2011
    3
    Too long. Too disinteresting. Too many tries to get all the way through it (five). The acting and cinematography are top notch, but the movie is ultimately one to avoid (nowhere near as good as the director's film The Host).
  8. DarthCritic
    Nov 30, 2010
    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.
  9. Film_Fanatic_15
    Nov 23, 2010
    7
    People can call this a thriller all they want, but they should title the movie "Courageous Mother". You find a mother's son, accused of murder, when in fact the police have very little evidence that proves he did it. The movie show's you the events that leads up to the murder of the poor little girl, but doesn't give you much to go off of. The mother desperately tries to tell the police that he is innocent, and soon she does find out the clues to the murder. It's brilliant: The cast and the plot. It doesn't amount to much in the end, but you would need to sit through the 2 hours in order to fully understand it isn't just another crime drama, because the movie is more of a drama than an actual Dan Brown thriller.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. 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.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Derek Elley
    70
    Key casting is aces, led by a deglammed Kim, forcefully low-key as the mother who seems capable of anything to protect her son.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Maggie Lee
    90
    A superb murder mystery, with twists coming thick and fast yet always at the right moments.
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