Shrieking, “Goodnight Mommy,” But, Please, Send in a Nurse! Film Review by Alex Moore

Where do I begin? Ah, yes, Amazon Prime. Amazon Studios has been in existence since 2010. Where does that compare to, say, Netflix? Honestly, I do not know, but it is bugging me and some day, I will find out. Have I digressed for long enough yet?…

So, as it happens, “Goodnight Mommy” is a remake of an Austrian movie from all the way back in 2014. Have I reminded myself and others before about the lack of original material in the world of cinema? Well, I am doing so, yet again.

In any case, this is what they, if you know whom I mean by “they,” have decided to do with their time and money. Actually, I have no problem with remakes, in general. If it is good, then who cares? That should not matter, should it? This one is directed by Matt Sobel and written by Kyle Warren, which was adapted from the aforementioned film by Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala (“The Lodge”). The cast is limited to just a handful of actors, primarily comprised of Naomi Watts (“This is the Night”) as Mother and Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti as Elias and Lukas, respectively. Naomi Watts is also listed as the Executive Producer for the project.

Elsewhere, Jeremy Bobb (“South of Heaven”), as Gary, and Crystal Lucas-Perry, as Sandy, represent a team of police officers, though their presence is minimal and hardly relevant to the story. Peter Hermann (“13”) plays a small part as Father, as well. Again, his role is small and pretty irrelevant.

Elias and Lukas, who are twins, are coming to live with their Mother in a very isolated and serene environment, which has plenty of room to play, but there is a minor caveat or two, especially when it comes to the barn, outside and off into the distance of the main house. Apparently, something dangerous lurks within those walls; something Mother does not want her sons exposed to…

One thing that is never truly explained is why the Mother and Father have separated. I suppose, once the end of the story is revealed, it is easier to imagine what could have led to this, but the details are sketchy, at best. A specific song is repeatedly sung by, both, the Mother and the twins, as well. However, there is a lapse in the timeframe as to when each character chooses to sing the song. The Mother could be heard singing it in videos from the past, but only the twins sing it, now, presently.

As time rolls along, it becomes clear who is the leader and who is the follower between the twins. It reminds me of “Single While Female.” The psychology surrounding twins is something that has not been explored enough, over the years, but it is done so much more effectively in THAT movie versus THIS one.

So, as the two boys are beginning to determine what is going on with their Mother, they are also at odds with how to treat her. One is more purposeful and the other is more passive. Either way, Mother is different and we do not know why. At least, not until the end. You may have noticed that on several occasions, I have mentioned “the end.” Well, the end is everything to this film and, for the most part, nothing really matters before that. All of the potential scares and disturbing images disappear after that, from my perspective.

I should quickly point out that there were a couple of other details, involving Mother, which made me think of superior movies: a short dance in front of the mirror was reminiscent of a sequence in “The Silence of the Lambs” and a nightmarish dream sequence was reminiscent of “Black Swan.” Maybe you will want to rewatch those films, instead.

The big payoff, at the end, was actually pretty good, but by that point, I was not all that interested to see it unfold. When a renowned actress, like Naomi Watts, cannot save the movie from falling beneath the horizon line of mediocrity, hope seems quite fragile. I can think of at least two moments in which I was laughing aloud and I do not think either one of those moments were actually intended to be humorous. If I had been sitting in a crowded or sparsely-populated theater, that might have been a series of awkward timing for me. At least it would have been memorable. Instead, I sat in watch, solo, as is customary for streaming services and their meaningful releases. It does not change my final thoughts: this movie is not good and you should only watch it if you wish to compare it to the original or simply have nothing better to do with your time. I did you all a favor, in my estimation.