Goodnight Mommy (2022) movie review

There are, without doubt, some notable exemptions. Let Me In, directed by Matt Reeves and a remake of Tomas Alfredson’s vampire story Let The Right One In, is actually a pretty decent movie. The filmmaker has retained the tense and emotional atmosphere of the creepy original, which is a testament to the overall quality of the film. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, directed by Philip Kaufman and released in 1978, is another good remake. Arguably, this version is scarier (and generally better) than Don Siegel’s original communist allegory, published in 1956.

Why am I talking about new versions of old movies? Goodnight Mommy is a remake of an Austrian film released in 2014 with the same name. If you don’t already know it, Matt Sobel’s Goodnight Mommy, currently streaming on Prime Video in some regions, is a remake of the movie.

Both films share a similar storyline, centering on two brothers named Elias and Lukas who visit their mother, an actress, only to find that she is not the person she used to be. They were very surprised when they found out that he had changed. One of the differences they immediately notice upon their arrival is the surgical mask wrapped around his face; however, men have more to worry about than her outward appearance. Their mother used to be kind and caring, but now she is cold and aloof, her behavior is getting closer and closer to being abusive.

The young people begin to suspect that the woman hiding behind the mask is actually an impostor as a result of personality changes. The answer to this question lies at the heart of the film’s central enigma, which can be found in both the remake and the original film. Do the twins still live at home with their mother? Or do they live entirely in a home that is shared with another individual?

If you’ve seen the film in its original form, you’ll be familiar with the response. As I say, the storyline of this 2022 remake is very close to the original. Despite this, the two films cannot be fully compared to each other as Sobel’s film deviates in significant respects.

Does this indicate that it is a weak version of the original? The answer to that question depends on who you ask. It’s certainly not as bad as the films I mentioned at the beginning of this review as this film benefits from some creative direction and convincing performances from its talented cast, with special mention to Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti who play the twins which is male. It’s definitely not as bad as the movies I mentioned at the beginning of this review because this movie benefits from some creative direction and convincing performances. However, it’s not as shocking as Alfredson’s original creation, and if you’re familiar with his film, you may find the adjustments Sobel makes disappointing.

In the version from 2014, the mother is a more dangerous character than the one portrayed by Naomi Watts in the remake. She is mean, evasive, and acts in an almost robotic manner, and she never reveals to the boys that she is actually their biological mother. Elias has doubts about the mother portrayed by Watts, but she vehemently denies those allegations and claims that she is, in fact, the boys’ mother. She continues to act strangely, but she is not as mysterious as the woman in Alfredson’s film.

To get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the masked woman, the men in both films collect evidence to support their claims. When they realize that they are sharing their residence with a stranger, they take out their anger on him. In the first version of the film, there are several sequences where the twins commit acts of violence against women, including some that are truly disturbing. In the new version of the story, Watts’ mother has an easier time because, except for a bucket of ice water, her children do not torture her in the same way as before.

Your comfort level with scary content will determine whether you view these changes as a positive or negative development. If you find disturbing scenes of violence irritating, especially where children play the role, you may be relieved to know that the remake is less intense than the original Alfredson-directed film. If, on the other hand, you were hoping for something as chilling as the original film, you might not be as thrilled with the remake as the violence is what gave the film its visceral punch.

Sobel’s film is also unique in many other respects. It’s not nearly as tense as the movie from 2014, and the aura of mystery is blunted because there are one or more clues that point directly to the unexpected conclusion. The film directed by Alfredson is characterized by its opacity, and we do not know any of the film’s revelations until the very end. The criticism is that English-language remakes of foreign-language films invalidate the material for western audiences, and this is an argument that can be leveled against this particular remake. You won’t get the same experience if you watch this movie as you did if you watched the title that came before it. This is not to say that the film is worthless; however, because it’s not as disturbing or as clever as the film that came before it, you won’t get the same experience.

If you haven’t seen the version of Goodnight Mommy released in 2014, you have nothing to compare the remake to, which can be considered a positive aspect of the situation. You won’t have a valid reason to complain about the mood swings or the diluted scenes that take place between the boys and their mother, and you should have a good time with the many twists and turns woven into the story.

Let’s go back to the question we started with: is this a poor remake of an old horror movie? There is a lot of creative skill on display, both in front of and behind the camera, so I don’t believe that will be the case. If you’ve seen the Alfredson-directed film, you may have valid reasons to complain about it, but I suspect your main objections have more to do with the way the story is retold than the aesthetic of the film itself.

If you haven’t seen Alfredson’s film to use as a reference point, you might want to put up with what Sobel directed. If you have a problem with subtitled movies or intense horror scenes, you’ll be relieved to know that this version is less severe than some of the remakes you may have seen in the past. However, if you want the best possible experience, you should watch the movie that came out in 2014 instead.

Grief, Identity, and Mother’s Destiny

Trauma is another potential explanation for the strange behavior exhibited by Elias’ mother. As she struggles to accept her son’s passing, she can never look at Elias the same way again. All of her good memories, like her singing bedtime songs, were tarnished by this recent event. As a direct result of his grief, he has changed into a very different person, and as a result, he has the distinct impression that he is a fraud.

Elias’ mother probably forbade him to play in the barn because that’s where their father’s rifle was found. He wouldn’t have hit Elias in the face before Lukas passed away. Despite this, Elias continues to show that he does not want to accept the truth. Elias threw his mother against a pillar in their barn after his mother showed him evidence of her infidelity. Elias flees into the darkness after the barn is set on fire by others.

The Cycle continues

After escaping the destruction of the barn, Elias finds himself in an open field where he collapses and begins to cry. He clapped back and gave a pat on the shoulder as he watched the fire spread. His brother Lukas was also there, and they both hugged him. His mother reassured him that he had done nothing wrong. On the other hand, it is abundantly clear that this is yet another misconception. As she struggles to process Lukas’ death, she begins to doubt who her mother is, and now she can’t accept that she is also responsible for his death. He began to doubt his mother because he could not cope with Lukas’ death. Elias is able to keep his imagination alive because he has no one to direct him.