Other Mommy: Jessica Chastain plays mother and monster in Hong Kong release
Jessica Chastain plays both a mother and a sinister impostor in Rob Savage's supernatural thriller Other Mommy, which opens in Hong Kong on 8 October. Based on Josh Malerman's novel, the film follows eight-year-old Bela as an entity that looks like her mother emerges from her closet.
Supernatural thriller Other Mommy opens in Hong Kong cinemas on 8 October, bringing Jessica Chastain to the screen in a dual role as both a mother and the sinister entity that borrows her appearance. Directed by Rob Savage and produced by horror filmmaker James Wan, the film follows eight-year-old Bela, whose home life is already unsettled by growing tension between her parents. Then she discovers something hiding in her closet.
The entity looks uncannily like her mother, but its voice, movements and intentions feel increasingly wrong. Bela calls it 'Other Mommy,' and what begins as a strange connection gradually turns into a threat to the entire family. Chastain takes on both sides of that relationship, playing Bela's mother as well as the sinister figure. Jay Duplass plays Bela's father, Daddo, while Arabella Olivia Clark takes the central role of Bela.
The film comes from Blumhouse Atomic Monster, with Savage directing from a screenplay by Nathan Elston. It is based on Josh Malerman's bestselling novel Incidents Around the House. According to the production, Chastain performed much of Other Mommy's unusual physical movement herself. Savage has said the distinction between the actress and her darker alter ego became surprisingly convincing even during post-production. Wan described Chastain as the film's 'secret weapon.'
Savage is no stranger to finding fear in confined spaces. His 2020 breakout Host unfolded almost entirely through a Zoom call, while The Boogeyman adapted Stephen King's story into another tale of supernatural terror entering the family home. In Other Mommy, the setting is similarly intimate. Bedrooms, hallways and the closet become part of the threat, while the story largely unfolds through Bela's perspective.
Savage explained that Other Mommy deliberately tries to build a relationship with the girl, whispering to her and probing the tensions within her family. The horror comes partly from trying to understand whether those conversations are sincere, manipulative or something more dangerous. The rest of the family also becomes increasingly aware that something is wrong, shifting the story away from the familiar horror setup in which only the child can see the monster.
For viewers who prefer their psychological horror with a more immediate jolt, Savage has been unusually open about the film's jump scares. Asked how many appear in the finished movie, the director's answer was simple: 'About 50.' But the film is not designed solely around sudden noises or appearances. The scares are layered with distorted movement, uncertainty and a sense that the family home can no longer be trusted.