Jessica Chastain’s new horror film Other Mommy has opened to a rough critical response, and now, the audience response is gradually creating the whole picture. Directed by Rob Savage and adapted from Josh Malerman’s novel Incidents Around the House, the film follows eight-year-old Bela, who encounters an entity that looks and sounds like her mother, Ursula, played by Chastain.

The premise turns maternal comfort into a nightmare and gives Chastain a double role. The film returns Chastain to horror after outings including Mama and It: Chapter Two. Savage has promised a barrage of jump scares, but the question the spectators are asking is whether relentless shocks can sustain a story about a child caught in her family’s unraveling.

Critics have been largely unconvinced. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer lists Other Mommy at 17% from 29 reviews, at the time of writing, with criticism aimed at its thin mythology, choppy structure, and failure to build suspense.

Audience reviews, on the other hand, are mixed. Some call the story confusing and the scares repetitive, while others praise the young performer and enjoy the visuals. The court of public opinion is still giving shape to its verdict.

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The early reactions split between frustration with the film’s storytelling and appreciation for its chaotic pleasures.

The more skeptical reviews on Other Mommy describe the film as messy, predictable, and short on atmosphere. Some have issues with early introductions, while others feel the jump scare-to-plot ratio might be skewed. Chastain’s commitment is rarely the issue, no matter the painful process; the material around her is.

"Have a hard time giving it 1/2 star. It is horrible and a waste of a talented actress like Jessica Chastain. It has a ridiculous plot line that is more stupefying than frightening," said @KryptonKid.

"A good idea ruined by too many silly jumpscares and bad writing," Camila F writes. 

"The movie was confusing at times and the storyline was terrible. The acting was good, but I couldn’t wait for it to end," another watcher declared. 

 However, not all audience reactions are dismissive. Some praise Arabella Olivia Clark’s performance as Bela and point to the visuals and effects as the film’s assets. As it turns out, for horror fans seeking a theatrical ride, the disorder may be part of the appeal.

"This movie doesn’t take many stops, its a fun ride all the way through, gets silly sometimes but for the most part this entity is relentless and doesn’t hide," a reviewer wrote. 

"I do not understand why this film is getting so much hate. We finally get a unique story about an unknown entity that isn't demonic and people are absolutely against it for some reason," Daniel L commented in defense.

That leaves Other Mommy in a familiar bind: critics see a promising premise squandered, while some viewers will accept narrative holes for a noisy night at the movies. With audience ratings still accumulating, Chastain’s horror outing has yet to settle its reputation, but the scares are landing more consistently than the story.

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Have you seen Other Mommy yet? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments.