When you watch a horror film called Mother’s Day, you pretty much go in with a lowered expectation that will allow for some enjoyment to come from it even if the movie overall is bad; so long as it does certain things right. That said, while Mother’s Day will often have you banging your head against a wall in frustration at the stupidity often represented by those on the screen, it’s also got an interesting theme that not only makes it tolerable but, dare I say, enjoyable. That theme is survival.
It’s hard to say what any of us would do to survive until we’re placed in a situation where our lives are actually on the line. In Mother’s Day, three brothers are trying to escape the law after a robbery gone badly. One of them has a bullet lodged in his ribcage and they need to find sanctuary quick. They can’t get a hold of their mother, so they decide to just head to the house they grew up in and meet her there. What they don’t realize is that their mother lost the house to foreclosure two months prior, and that the new owners are having a get-together that is about to get violently interrupted.
There are nine people in the house when the brothers arrive, and with one of the brothers being gravely wounded, the odds are greatly in favour of the group of friends. What works here is the fear of the unknown. When the brothers’ bust into the house, there’s loud music blasting in the basement where the party is going on, so only a small amount of thudding can be heard upstairs. This leads Daniel (Frank Grillo) to go check if someone else has arrived for the party, only to quickly find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. This, in turn, leads his wife, Beth (Jaime King) upstairs looking for him. This may sound monotonous, but it’s not. It’s actually one of the smartest routes that writer Scott Milam could have taken it, as it keeps the tension high as both sides try to figure out what’s going on, instead of just having the brothers walk in on nine people which would begin a bloodbath.
It becomes a game of separation, as those in the basement quickly realize what’s going on; however, they aren’t able to do anything about it because one of their friends is always upstairs with the bad guys, and they figure there isn’t much they can do without people losing lives. This goes on for a little bit, but things start to change when the boy’s mother (Rebecca De Mornay) shows up.
Mother has a sweet exterior, and quickly scolds her boys for treating these people with such disrespect. She allows them to sit on the couches in the basement, and let’s them know that she and her family will be gone in just a little while, and that everything will be okay so long as they do what they’re told. Thus, the game of survival begins.
It’s a well laid out first act, and it’s the ongoing theme it sets up that makes the remaining 90 minutes entertaining, despite the cringe worthy flaws found within them. It’s the idea of “what would I do?” that enters your head as you watch the friends trapped in the basement try to figure out how to survive. Do you just wait it out? If you do, will they just leave like they said, or are you now a witness and they need to make sure there aren’t any? Do you just get up and fight, even though it almost guarantees a few of your friends – and maybe even you – will die? It’s an interesting theme that’s tested time and time again, with sometimes shocking results.
Now I do realize that I need to touch on the problems with the film, as I’m setting it up to be a perfect horror specimen. That’s definitely not the case. The town these people live in has got to be the worst place to live ever. Near the start of the film, when Beth first realizes there are intruders in the house, she runs out the front door screaming for help. Across the street there’s a couple heading into the house, and as Beth screams, the eldest brother Ike (Patrick John Flueger) tackles her from behind, and drags her back into the house. The camera then shows the neighbours entering their own house, having not heard anything.
I’m not sure about all suburban areas, but I’m pretty sure if you’re outside and a neighbour runs out screaming, you’re going to hear it. But let’s just say they don’t hear it, that’s fine, we’ll let it go. But not to far from that moment, a gunshot goes off in the house and the front door is open. Are the residents of this area used to gunshots just randomly going off? Of course, it should be mentioned that tornado warnings are in effect for this area, which would be a partial excuse for how abandoned the town is; however, when guns are being fired openly in the street, you have to wonder if more than just these nine people live in this place.
There are other problems I can’t mention due to the spoilers that would accompany them, but know that there are plenty of moments where you’ll just be shaking your head at some of the things taking place. That said, it’s the strength of the survival theme that makes the film entertaining despite these flaws. Watching these friends bicker and fight with one another while trying to protect the ones they love is thought provoking, as you constantly have to ask yourself, “What would I do?”
Now I’m going to do those who want to see this a favour and give you a warning about the final act of the film. I wouldn’t call it a spoiler so much as I would call it a “saver.” Here’s the tip: when the screen fades to black, pretend the movie finishes there. Don’t get me wrong, I know that you’re going to keep watching when it fades back up for a five-minute epilogue; however, know that the true film ended at the original fade to black. The reason? This movie has one of the worst thrown together, have to have one because it’s a horror film, epilogues ever – so just pretend it doesn’t exist.
The video for the film is 1080p, and while there are some grainy scenes near the start, the overall video quality is solid throughout. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is also strong, as the dialogue, music and sound effects all come together quite well, without the need to strain to hear anything at any point.
There are no special features to be found on this disc.
Mother’s Day is horror film that keeps you interested, even with a hefty two-hour runtime. Of course, that all hinges on whether or not you can look past some of the flaws that may ruin the movie for some. Those looking for an exact remake of the 1980’s horror flick by the same name will also be disappointed, and should look at this movie as more of an homage than a remake.
An Alliance Films Release Lighttower Entertainment in Association with Widget Films and Sierra Pictures presents Mother’s Day. Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman. Written by: Scott Milam. Starring: Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Briana Evigan, Patrick Flueger, Deborah Ann Woll, Matt O’Leary, Jesse Rusu, Shawn Ashmore. Running time: 112 minutes. Rating: R. Released on Blu-ray: May 8, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
