Mom and Dad
Momentum Pictures | Release Date: January 19, 2018
5.8
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 59 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
25
Mixed:
25
Negative:
9
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
5
deltagilbertFeb 23, 2018
The movie presents a fun and interesting idea of parents trying to kill their kids and reminded me of the excellent Masters of Horror episode 'The Screwfly Solution'. Well, it was a fun idea until the movie just ended with absolutely noThe movie presents a fun and interesting idea of parents trying to kill their kids and reminded me of the excellent Masters of Horror episode 'The Screwfly Solution'. Well, it was a fun idea until the movie just ended with absolutely no resolution at all. No proper ending, no answers, nothing at all. Just the credits half way through the story. I felt like I'd just wasted the last 80 or so minutes of my life. I can't recommend half a movie and I'll give it half a score. 5 out of 10. Don't waste your time.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
All this user's reviews
4
temptershellFeb 5, 2018
Tragic acting, tiring dialogues and one of the worst montages I have seen in recent times. Something like King's Cell but with much worse final effect. It is a waste of time for this type of cinema.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
JLuis_001Jan 28, 2018
Probably the best performance of Nicolas Cage since Joe and from Selma Blair since Hellboy 2.

This is a black comedy, satirical and bloody, lends itself to interesting metaphors and interpretations but never crosses the point of becoming aProbably the best performance of Nicolas Cage since Joe and from Selma Blair since Hellboy 2.

This is a black comedy, satirical and bloody, lends itself to interesting metaphors and interpretations but never crosses the point of becoming a serious matter, the comic but dark tone remains.

Imagine a zombie movie in which the zombies are perfectly aware, they just simply have the urge to kill. In this case it's the parents trying to get rid of their offspring.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
GBG_JasonJan 29, 2018
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don’t care who you are; at some point in your life, someone (likely a family member) has pissed you off so badly that you see red and want to kill them. While these moments are typically just played out in your head and are brief, they are present. At the end of the day, we as people are animals, civilized ones (for the most part), but animals nonetheless. But what if you lost control of your faculties and sought out your own children, for no apparent reason, with the sole purpose of ending their lives? This is the brutal premise of Mom & Dad.



The film opens with a mother in a car with her child; she casually turns on the radio and gets out of the car. This might appear normal at first, until you see the speeding train that is headed right for the car. Cut to our introduction of the family who will be the main characters in the film going on about their day, as news reports detail cases of parents attacking their children, for no good reason. The family consists of parents Brent (played by Nicolas Cage; Con Air, National Treasure) and Kendall (played by Selma Blair; Hellboy) with their children Josh (played by Zackary Arthur; The 5th Wave) and Carly (played by Anne Winters; Tyrant). While the family does appear to have their issues, they seem to love and care for each other. The parents are dealing with midlife crises and each child seems to have their own annoying tendencies which have grown old on the parents.

Before long, parents are seen stalking schools like they are waiting for the Black Friday sales to start at Best Buy. At first, they simply appear to be weird, but upon the sight of their child, go into a ravenous fury. Before long, our characters are playing a game of cat and mouse throughout their home.



For a film that deals with children being the victim of the carnage, it does do so fairly tastefully, as most of the gruesome deaths that children face are shown off screen or at angles that make it less shocking. While this isn’t the first film to tackle this subject matter, it is one of the more eloquent options with most of the gore being directed at teenagers or parents.

With the exception of Nicolas Cage being Nicolas Cage, the acting is above expectation for a straight to video horror film and fairly believable. It is very entertaining to see the parents changing from loving care givers to bloodthirsty animals as quick as you can flip a light switch. I also enjoyed the music direction, as a number of the more chaotic moments are set to some soft or even cheerful songs.



The film’s biggest downfall is some pacing and editing issues. The film often cuts to a flashback showing the family in the midst of tender moments or on the verge of a breakdown. With the exception of an overly extended flashback that is unneeded and adds nothing to the film, these are never really detailed as to where in the story they fit or why they are there. These not only break immersion from the story, they cause the film to lose momentum during its most entertaining parts.

Another issue that overshadows the others is the lack of explanation or closure, as the movie leaves itself open for a sequel. The reason behind the attacks is speculated via the newscasts shown throughout the film, but never confirmed or fully explained. While some parents go into a blind rage and are akin to the zombies from 28 Days Later that suffer from the rage virus, others are coherent and just seeking out their children to end them. Selma Blair does seem to convey an internal struggle with her maternal instincts battling the urge to hunt down her spawn, but the others are somewhere in-between mindless creatures and normal everyday people.



While zombie horror films are a dime a dozen, Mom and Dad breaks the mold and gets the horror aspect right, despite some editing and pacing issues. It is certainly worth a rental – just don’t watch it with your kids (or parents).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
amheretojudgeApr 30, 2018
sometimes we just..

Mom And Dad A sadistic approach towards a metaphorical shallow term that never gets beyond its initial stage, set in a comic tone may not tickle the audience to that point as anticipated but it surely keeps them engagingsometimes we just..

Mom And Dad

A sadistic approach towards a metaphorical shallow term that never gets beyond its initial stage, set in a comic tone may not tickle the audience to that point as anticipated but it surely keeps them engaging with gripping screenplay and short runtime that favors on its side. Brian Taylor's smart screenplay and a fresh concept unfortunately surpasses its execution that could have improved a lot if taken care of properly. On terms of performance, Selma Blair steals the show as a frustrated and challenged parent along with Nicolas Cage and young actors as a supporting cast. Mom And Dad doesn't work as a passable amusing feature for it is something that stays with you for a long time depending upon one's taste that goes either side; pleasant or annoying.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
JLauSep 25, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Parents, all of a sudden, get the urge to kill their children but luckily, for one girl, she has a friend who repeatedly fails to die as he helps her avoid her family.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
geewahJun 3, 2021
A fun idea, it's just in the execution that things go pear-shaped. This should of been a vechile for Nicolas Cage to show off his eccentric, high energy acting style, and what we see is great, it's just that there isn't enough of it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
THEDUDE93Apr 26, 2023
I was Prepared for a Very Bad Movie. But i was a little bit Surprised. Its a Cool Movie with a Weird Idea.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

59 Critic Reviews

5.8 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 71 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL