Goodnight Mommy

Name: Goodnight Mommy
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror
Released: September 11, 2015
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 81

2015

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 200 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 200 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

RADiUS-TWC | Release Date: September 11, 2015 | R

Summary: In the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine year old twin brothers await their mother’s return. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before and the children start to doubt whether this woman is actually who she says she is. What ensues is a terrifying struggle for identityIn the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine year old twin brothers await their mother’s return. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before and the children start to doubt whether this woman is actually who she says she is. What ensues is a terrifying struggle for identity and fundamental trust. [RADiUS-TWC]… Expand

Director: Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 99 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael O'Sullivan

Sep 24, 2015

It’s a masterful example of genre filmmaking’s ability to transcend its limitations, leaving a viewer not just frightened, but also changed. Read full review

100

Joe McGovern

Sep 3, 2015

Goodnight Mommy, a brilliantly sinister horror film in the recent art-house mold of "The Babadook" and "It Follows," has a premise that cracks like the whip of a devil’s tail. Read full review

David Rooney

Sep 13, 2014

The story's acceleration from anxiety to panic to hellish chaos is expertly managed, but more impressively, so is the control of internal narrative logic. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Sep 13, 2014

Shooting in sleek 35mm, Franz and Fiala have dreamt up a home-invasion scenario where the aggressors lived there all along. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Oct 2, 2015

Good movies create their own worlds, and that’s certainly true of Goodnight Mommy — even if it’s a world you wouldn’t want to live in. Read full review

Marc Mohan

Oct 6, 2015

Most of the time, Goodnight Mommy creates its air of supreme unease quietly, even subtly, but even hardened horror fans might be shocked by some of what goes down in the movie's second half. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Sep 13, 2014

Perhaps a more unassuming genre director would have tightened this movie’s cables a little, so that it had more tension and less revulsion. At all events, it delivers some nasty shocks. Read full review

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User Reviews

ralphington

Nov 15, 2015

A modern classic. A wholly consuming film that is a clever thriller. The cinematography itself is a work of art. This rejuvenates a genre that had become generally predictable.The twins are utilized to startling effect.

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

srtafozex

Sep 11, 2015

The minimalism has made the film to come out very well. The performance and the relationship between the characters, almost without any talk, are impeccable. Loved it!

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

Prosmooth

Sep 12, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think I've seen too many movies. I think there is supposed to have been a couple of surprise revelations here--but I saw them both coming near the beginning of the film. Strangely though, the film still works because I wasn't quite sure if I was being manipulated or not while I was watching it. Some of the clues to both reveals were really obvious. I'm not really sure if the audience is supposed to be surprised or not. I guess that is a credit to the filmmakers. This reminded me of a Haneke film. Slow pace--but that gives the audience time to ponder. There is a real sadness to the movie too, which creeps into every frame. I think it's a great film after all is said and done.… Expand

7 of 9 users found this helpful72

SquintyReviews

Sep 28, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a movie about ambiance. Everything from the amazing
cinematography, the rife symbolic imagery, to the character portrayals is about the experience of hallucinating. Even though you
know early on the secret surrounding the two boys. Its not about
revelation of the secret surrounding them, so much as watching the fallout of that realization, and some of the extremes it can go to.

The child actors were natural with just a hint of something off, without being to much one thing or the other, the mother was a bit…off as a mother figure, but that could be considered as the key part of the plot, or in general a portrayed faulty person being interpreted through a skewed lens.

A great deal of obvious film making talent went into this Austrian
masterpiece, a bit laid back here and there, not an overly jump scare kind of film, which is perfect for the story being portrayed, adding yet another layer to the definition of Horror.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

TVJerry

Sep 27, 2015

Two twin brothers enjoy an idyllic country summer until their mother comes home from cosmetic surgery and nothing seems right. Don't expect scares and shocks. Instead, this film is built on a creepy vibe that creates more concern than suspense. It's a psychological thriller with a twist thatTwo twin brothers enjoy an idyllic country summer until their mother comes home from cosmetic surgery and nothing seems right. Don't expect scares and shocks. Instead, this film is built on a creepy vibe that creates more concern than suspense. It's a psychological thriller with a twist that was obvious way before its reveal. The 2 boys (real twins) have a wonderful interaction that's continually compelling, but the payoff, although slightly disturbing, lacks punch. In German with subtitles.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

marco34la

Oct 21, 2015

I'm sorry this movie is grossly over-rated. I found it to be boring for the first 20-30mins, inexplicable the next 20-30 mins and the last 20-30 mins were graphically horrific and sadistic. There's not much dialogue, music or context here and what could have easily been resolved earlier onI'm sorry this movie is grossly over-rated. I found it to be boring for the first 20-30mins, inexplicable the next 20-30 mins and the last 20-30 mins were graphically horrific and sadistic. There's not much dialogue, music or context here and what could have easily been resolved earlier on in the film is on brought out in the very last moments of the film. I am a fan of this genre, and don't mind gore, but children & gore don't mix well with me. Additionally, movies that give children adult skills -- is too contrived and unbelievable.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

Astaerus

Mar 16, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Imagine at the start of The 6th Sense you saw someone shoot Bruce Willis, and then the rest of the movie was filmed as though you didn't see him get shot: this is Goodnight Mommy.

As shot, there is no twist in this film. In the opening sequence one of the twins is clearly shown to have drowned, and then you get an hour of nothing happening while the filmmakers seem to have forgotten that they already told you one of the boys is dead.

When something finally does happen, it is fairly tame, and then over quickly. The audience is never really given the chance to wallow in apprehension and uncertainty. Anyone calling this movie "torture porn" should go watch The Loved Ones, Wolf Creek, Inside, High Tension...

The only thing I knew about this movie ahead of time was its high approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But even if I had skipped the first 5 minutes, the movie was still just boring.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

SEE ALL 23 REVIEWS

59	#59 Best Movie of 2015
99	#99 Most Shared Movie of 2015