‘Other Mommy’ Gets Brutal Early Reviews as Jessica Chastain’s Horror Film Lands With a Rotten Tomatoes Thud

Horror fans have been circling ‘Other Mommy‘ for months, drawn in by a creepy trailer and a lead performance from Jessica Chastain that promised something unsettling. The film, directed by Rob Savage, arrives in theaters today with plenty of buzz around its box office potential. The first wave of critical reaction, however, has been far less enthusiastic.

Studios often hold back screenings when they are unsure how a movie will play with critics, and this release appears to have followed that path. According to Forbes, the film was not screened in advance for critics, and reviews only began to appear after Thursday preview screenings.

As of now, ‘Other Mommy’ sits at 20% on the Tomatometer based on 20 reviews, a clearly rotten start. The Popcornmeter has not posted a score yet, though it lists more than 100 verified ratings. The film is rated R, runs 1 hour and 33 minutes, and is described as a horror, mystery and thriller.

That early number is a long way from Chastain’s previous horror outings. Her earlier genre films ‘Mama’, ‘IT Chapter Two’ and ‘Crimson Peak’ all earned fresh scores on the site, with the latter her best-reviewed at 72%.

The complaints are fairly consistent. Several reviewers call the film flat and light on tension, saying the scares are not supported by the kind of slow build that horror needs to work. One critic said the film makes a strong entrance but has no idea what to do once it gets inside, while another labeled it an incoherent embarrassment.

Global Box Office described it as a hot mess and gave it 2.5 stars, and an early score from Fiction Horizon called it uneven but watchable at 6 out of 10. Critics also point to sloppy direction, a forgettable score and repetitive jump scares. Savage had said the film would deliver around 50 jump scares, and a number of reviewers feel they undercut the creeping dread rather than build it.

Almost every review singles out Chastain, who plays both Ursula and the sinister double that haunts her daughter. Critics say she commits fully to the dual role, even when the script gives her limited material. For many, her work is the main reason to buy a ticket.

There are also pockets of goodwill. One critic suggested the film may satisfy horror fans more than general critics, and early audience reactions on Letterboxd average around 3.19 out of 5. Some fans online have shrugged that a flawed horror movie can still be entertaining.

The story follows 8-year-old Bela, who is dealing with her parents’ marriage problems when a sinister entity that looks and sounds just like her mother begins to disrupt her life. Arabella Olivia Clark plays Bela, with Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman and Arian Moayed also in the cast. The film is based on Josh Malerman’s novel ‘Incidents Around the House’, adapted by Nathan Elston, with James Wan producing through Blumhouse and Atomic Monster.

Malerman is also the author of ‘Bird Box’. The project now faces the challenge of turning its strong tracking into goodwill from critics.

New trailer for ‘OTHER MOMMY’, starring Jessica Chastain and Jessica Chastain. The film follows a young girl who is threatened by a sinister demon that looks exactly like her mother. In theaters on October 9. https://t.co/Xwu3FI6pYz

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 15, 2026

Despite the rocky reviews, projections for opening weekend have been strong. Box Office Theory forecast an opening between $28.5 million and $35 million, while Boxoffice Pro has tracked the film as high as $35 million. TheWrap cited a projection of $24 million, with some sources seeing closer to $30 million if reception holds up.

Not every forecast is that bullish. Deadline projects a No. 1 debut of about $20 million from around 3,200 locations, against a reported $19 million net budget. Comparisons have included ‘The Black Phone’, which opened to $23.6 million, and genre hits like ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’.

Horror audiences are often more forgiving than critics, and the genre has had a strong year. If viewers embrace the scares and Chastain’s performance, the film could still land a solid opening and hold respectably in the following weeks.

The risk is that poor reviews limit its legs, particularly once ‘Street Fighter’ arrives next week. The first weekend will reveal whether this is a case of critics missing the point or audiences agreeing with them.

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