Goodnight Mommy, 2015.
Written and Directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz.
Starring Susanne Wuest, Lukas Schwarz and Elias Schwarz.
SYNOPSIS:
Twin boys move to a new home with their mother after she has face changing cosmetic surgery, but under her bandages is someone the children don’t recognize.
Goodnight Mommy definitely has a tonal identity crisis, but that doesn’t take much away from what is an effectively unnerving experience. For roughly an hour of its hundred minute running time, Goodnight Mommy indulges in abstract horror, containing many lucid dream sequences depicting unnatural behavior, and striking imagery meant to keep viewers unsure of what is actually going on before the big third act reveal.
The problem with this isn’t so much that artistic direction is abandoned for a more straightforward, boisterous finale ending with a bang, but that the twist is more of a confirmation of your first suspicion that an actual shock; which is what twists are supposed to accomplish. That doesn’t necessarily mean the reveal hinders what is most assuredly a competently crafted horror film, just that settling for the obvious is a double-edged sword.
On one hand, Goodnight Mommy not descending into over-the-top mainstream horror paranormal garbage is refreshing, simply because what the movie is actually about is a very real and terrifying scenario. On the other, it leaves you feeling frustrated at all of the previous red herrings and mis-directions. The dream sequences only exist to make viewers feel that there is more going on than there actually is.
All quibbles aside with the somewhat misfired narrative execution, Goodnight Mommy oozes creepiness. Even the most simple scenes like The Mother walking around all bandaged up, acting very quiet and reserved, only to moments later punish the children rather harshly for reasons unexplained create a sense of dread that most modern horror films can’t reach, mostly because they’re too busy cramming 500 jump scares into the script but that’s a discussion for another day.
The lullaby constantly heard throughout is also a highlight, mainly because creepy children choir singing will always sound unnatural and get under your skin. Music is probably the most underrated and underutilized tool when it comes to modern horror, so it’s very welcome that Goodnight Mommy has an eerie score co-existing well with the film’s themes. There’s also something more sinister about the lullaby when it is juxtaposed to a film that finally comes into focus, delivering a twistedly tragic ending. Seriously, predictability aside, the all-around direction of Goodnight Mommy is stellar, making the most of its story.
Props also have to go to the all-German cast; The Mother is portrayed walking a fine line between sanity and simply strange, successfully allowing us to either root against her or feel sympathetic when the script calls for it. The same goes for the children, whom actually don’t behave like bratty children that grate on your nerves. Once again, it’s all because of how very real the story is. Whether the finale goes over-the-top or not, Goodnight Mommy is disturbingly realistic; a real life scenario that could happen in the world we inhabit.
The film does unfortunately have a bad habit of showing things that are clearly meant to make you uncomfortable, but really don’t; a perfect example is the children exploring some cave around their extremely isolated lakeside house. It also plays into far too many familiar horror tropes (you’ll never guess what happens to the animal when the children bring one home) that do detract from what is otherwise a smartly written film about a very horrifying life experience.
Perhaps what is most interesting about Goodnight Mommy though is that it offers something for the different tastes of varying moviegoers; some may prefer the clarity of the final act which also centers on some very hard to watch moments of violence, while others will take pleasure in investigating the artistic merit of the first hour. Regardless of which type of moviegoer you are, I can safely assure you that Goodnight Mommy is one of the best horror films of 2015, and most importantly, something you won’t immediately forget.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder – An aficionado of film, wrestling, and gaming. Follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=qvTY7eXXIMg
Originally published September 16, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
