After emerging from the ball pit to ruthless reviews, Blumhouse‘s Other Mommy managed to scare up $3.6 million out of audiences in Thursday preview screenings. Director Rob Savage’s maternal horror romp, starring Jessica Chastain, opened in 3,200 North American theaters. Universal is hoping for a $20 million opening weekend for the film, which follows a sinister, shape-shifting entity that emerges from a young girl’s closet to terrorize a suburban family.
Blumhouse’s Latest Creepshow Takes a Box Office Bashing
Other Mommy cost upward of $19 million to produce before marketing. Unfortunately for horror fans, early reviews have been slamming Blumhouse’s latest spookfest on nearly every level, save for Chastain’s expectedly commanding performance. The movie currently sits at a harsh 18% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, quickly cementing it as one of the year’s most critically undesirable wide releases.
Jessica Chastain Can’t Save Other Mommy From Critical Creep
Tyler Nichols wrote our review for the site, giving Other Mommy a mediocre 5 out of 10. In his write-up, Tyler noted: “Sadly, despite a promising trailer, Other Mommy follows the usual Blumhouse formula, focusing more on a viral marketing campaign than on making a legitimately good film. While the visuals can be top-notch, the story is a constant letdown, prioritizing cheap jump scares over meaningful connection with the audience.”
Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook Drama Struggles to Status Update
Elsewhere at the box office, The Social Reckoning grossed a modest $650,000 from its Thursday preview showings. The film cost a reported $30 million to produce, with the corporate thriller opening across 2,600 North American screens at its debut. Our reviewer, Chris Bumbray, liked the film well enough, giving it a solid score and saying: “It’s not a masterpiece like The Social Network, but it’s still a more than decent movie on its own merits, and the actual scenes set within Facebook (or Meta, as it’s now called) are masterful.” Read Chris’ full review here.
So, why aren’t moviegoers rushing out to buy tickets for Aaron Sorkin’s whistleblower drama? It could be that audiences simply don’t want to be reminded of the billionaire class outside of unavoidable news coverage. The idea of paying top dollar to watch a dramatization of Facebook’s dirty laundry just isn’t appealing right now, though the movie could still become a conversation piece over time.
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