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 201 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 201 Ratings

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Goodnight Mommy

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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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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

SEE ALL 19 REVIEWS

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User Reviews

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

vitorthehuman

Dec 21, 2015

If this film were a person, I would date. I got hooked by it. I was surprised by the performances. For sure I will never stop loving this movie. One of the best in the genre, absolutely.

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

LeZee

Sep 24, 2015

If a mother isn't being one, her own child would doubt her.

The Austrian thriller-drama, is going to contend with another nearly 100 movies from the different countries for the upcoming (2016) American Academy Awards. I hope it will make into the final shortlist and my wishes to the castIf a mother isn't being one, her own child would doubt her.

The Austrian thriller-drama, is going to contend with another nearly 100 movies from the different countries for the upcoming (2016) American Academy Awards. I hope it will make into the final shortlist and my wishes to the cast and the crew. A minimal cast movie, set in an isolated lake house where the 9 years old twin boys and their mother lives. After their mother returning from the major facial surgery, the brothers doubts is she's the same person. They have no choice, but have to go for an unusual route to find out the truth.

Initially it was very slow, but keeps accelerating since the beginning of the second half and it ends strongly. You have to be an open minded, that is very important especially for this movie. Try to understand what it delivers than what you want see. I mean prediction is okay, but don't assume in a wider aspect. The narration was so simple and you may think the end is so cliche, but the movie does not bother to provide a surprise. Before going to talk about the twist, you have clear a couple of things.

The first question you have to answer yourself is what is 'horror' mean to you. The demons? The ghosts? Other creepy creatures? The zombies? Possession and exorcism? Haunted places and objects? Imposter? You know 'terror' is also called 'horror', which is a very close to the 'thriller' than being an actual 'horror'. Different movies explain in a different way, but this movie is not that distinctive from those, except being unconventional in revealing the details related to the story and characters.

"I want you to repeat ten times
that I'm your mother."

This film had a few diversions in the name of the genre. That is the reason why it failed to satisfy the horror fans, but so much better without mentioning that around. You have to be careful from the beginning itself, observing closely every scene. Because the storytelling commences with a hint within the first 10 minutes which is equivalent to the twist. You must get it right, or the rest of the narration won't be interesting enough.

So it is a one time shot, for the second time watch it won't be that effective. Some people deny the casual twist that comes in the first act which is too early for them and so they expects one in the final section only to get disappointed. Nothing wrong with the audience getting annoyed, but the film being atypical, just changing the order of all the three acts, that's it. The writer wanted the viewers to keep guessing throughout the their watch. That's the twist in the filmmaking, not in the actual film. Other than that it was not a smartest movie with the turnovers to amaze or confuse you.

I mean it has a proper conclusion, and you would know what it is, but should have to wait for how it's going to take place. I have seen many guys criticising that part particularly, but I felt it was good and made the movie a better product. Definitely one of the best films of the year, especially in my perception. From the posters to the trailer and teaser to the movie, it was being truthful. Never intend to cheat you, except like I said if you assume the things to happen in your way. Specially a big NO to the fancy stuffs like graphics and high pitch sudden sound/noise that's very common in horror to scare you. If you are a Hollywood fanatic, you definitely miss those doses and blame the movie.

A great directional debut as well as the twins with the real names on-screen. It got some intense scares, but limits the grossness. Had less dialogues and more in acts. Pretty rare movie and I am surprised that the critics liked this film more than the movie fanatics. But I'm happy that I'm not one of those to dislike it being a movie buff. My only disappointment is the outro scene (the exit scene) (in Hollywood it for kissing) which comes after the conclusion and before the end credit (sometimes, along the credit). I strongly recommend it, and I hope you consider some of the points I wrote in this review, otherwise I barely recommend it.

8/10… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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

TryASummersault

Sep 15, 2015

This film had decent start with great atmosphere that falls apart with a cliche twist during the second half. Do not go into the movie based off of the trailer because it is totally different.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

andrewsalgado

Feb 20, 2016

actually a pretty boring film until the plot turns into some sick torture porn. we couldnt finish it. it was sadistic and gross and totally unpleaseant. and im not squeamish or hard to please or put off by violence, but this was gratuitous graphic, and almost pornographic.Oh, and we calledactually a pretty boring film until the plot turns into some sick torture porn. we couldnt finish it. it was sadistic and gross and totally unpleaseant. and im not squeamish or hard to please or put off by violence, but this was gratuitous graphic, and almost pornographic.Oh, and we called from the first scene the film's 'BIG TWIST'. I mean, cmon, anyone with half a brain and any knowledge of films made the past 15 years can see that 'mindblowing twist' coming a mile away. sure. its techincally well made, but if the pay-off isnt there, its a poor film. also scenes dragged on for far too long, countless scenes in the dark where one can't see anything, and loads of confusing extra bits that should have been edited out.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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

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