Mom and Dad (18) #MomAndDad

Trailer

Synopsis

A teenage girl and her little brother try to survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown origins causes parents to turn violently on their own children.

The Good

Selma Blair is incredible as the titled ‘Mom’. Her character evolves in so many ways, and it is through artful subtleties that her character is able to catch you off guard and provide an anchor for Nicolas Cages’ ‘Dad’.

The entire cast is game in this wacky and near the knuckle blood fest. From the opening scene to the final blood splattered words, you will be on the edge of your seat in awe-inspiring disbelief.

The music in the film is also stunning. It is reminiscent of the 70s and 80s movie that Stranger Things has brought into the homes of every hipster. Only with Mom and Dad, it’s not ‘cool’ and ‘hip’, it’s chilling and atmospheric.

The Mad

Nicolas Cage. Damn, no one else could have fitted the role of ‘Dad’ better. This is the Nic Cage we have all been waiting for, even if we didn’t know we needed it. If there’s a line between caged animal and insanity, Nic flirts with it, buys it dinner and mounts it like he’s on heat. It’s a glorious sight; Nic Cage in full feral mode screaming ‘mother fucker’ as if he’s invented the word.

The plot that develops around his character is charmingly deep and rooted in adult fears. It’s easy to carve Nic’s performance out as a wacky comedic nut job trying to end the lives of his beloved children, but behind all the anger that exists before the epidemic starts is the heartbreaking truth behind the human condition; what happens when our dreams don’t come true?! Then of course he sings the Hokey Cokey…

The Ugly

This movie does not pull any punches with its gore. Think of all the things that Walking Dead and and Game of Thrones have backed down on (yep! Judith, I’m looking at you kid) and this film goes there.

In a role reversal almost- homage of the magnificent 1976 Spanish horror movie ‘Who Can Kill a Child?’, Mom and Dad retains all of the gore, all of the shock and all of the diabolical deaths.