Fresh from the birth of their son, Meredith (Emily Hampshire) and Jared (Francois Arnaud), come home to settle in to life as a family, but a restless force has its eyes on the new parents, and the latest addition. Introducing Mom, the feature length debut from Adam O’Brien, getting its World Premiere at Glasgow Frightfest 2024.
From the opening title, there is an immediate sense of something not quite right in the world of Mom. Despite what seems to be the ideal setting for approaching an exciting chapter in a young families’ life, the moment Meredith and Jared enter their home with son Alex, something is amiss. Meredith feels weighed down by the apparent burden of caring for Alex, while Jared seems unable or unwilling to accept her struggles, instead focusing on his work, and why Meredith hasn’t been able to keep the house clean. From here, Meredith, left alone to deal with what seems to be the constant cries from her newborn, begins to unravel. She is unable to sleep properly, is having hallucinations of an older Alex running around the house, and has a constant tick while awake, scratching surfaces absent-mindedly and picking at her nails. The relentless pressure and sniping of Jared comes to a head in a most tragic circumstance, and from here Meredith begins a descent into complete, despair driven madness.
A movie such as this hangs on the two leads. As Jared, Arnaud comes across as initially sympathetic, but the deeper you dig, his mannerisms and commenting appear much more sinister. There is a nasty streak in Jared, and Arnaud captures it. Hampshire is the clear standout though. Carrying the emotional burden of motherhood and post natal depression is no mean feat, and you are fully invested throughout in the journey of Meredith, willing her to make different choices, to come out the other end in one piece.
A few jump scares along the way are welcomed, and the terror felt throughout for the family make Mom a worthy addition to the traumatic horror of recent years.
Mom had its World Premiere at Glasgow Frightfest 2024
