It’s hard to discuss what truly makes Goodnight Mommy such a powerhouse cinematic experience without revealing some of the ingenious twists to it; suffice to say, very rarely does a film come along that leaves my proverbial jaw on the floor, but such is the case with this Austrian thriller from directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, who have crafted a film that’s thoughtful, intense and wrought with emotion and palpable tension throughout. Without a doubt, Goodnight Mommy is truly one of the best pure horror films of 2015.
Goodnight Mommy follows twin brothers Lukas and Elias (played by Lukas and Elias Schwarz) as they eagerly await the return of their mother (Susanne Wuest), who has been undergoing radical cosmetic surgery. When she returns, her face is completely bandaged and her disposition is chilly and confrontational with her children. Suspecting that the woman in their home is not their mother, but in fact an imposter, Lukas and Elias set out to discover the truth about what happened to the matriarch of their family—by any means necessary. And I mean any.
A haunting and unsettling examination of identity, grief, family dynamics and how parents often struggle with the feeling of being powerless against your own children, Goodnight Mommy is one of those films where the less you know going in, the better, as the way the story’s mystery unfolds is nothing short of masterful. Early on, Franz and Fiala establish a dreamlike atmosphere to their film, adding another layer of eeriness once Mother has returned to Elias and Lukas, and often immersing viewers in the same fractured reality that consumes the boys as their suspicions grow about who is really beneath the bandages.
Goodnight Mommy lives and dies by the performances of its younger co-stars, the Schwarz brothers, and the pair of siblings are such naturals together here that you often forget you're watching a work of fiction. Wuest is equally great, often fiercely unrelenting in her delivery, which allows the actress to make the most of her role despite being hidden behind bandages for most of the film’s running time. The cinematography from DP Martin Gschlacht is beautifully composed, his camera often visually representing the feeling of isolation the twins are suffering from, and he makes every frame mean something to the overall story of Goodnight Mommy. It’s also worth noting that both Franz and Fiala were adamnant about shooting their collaboration on 35mm film and their insistence really pays off as well.
A gut-punch experience that’s as clever as it is shocking and disturbing, Goodnight Mommy is truly one of the most unforgettable horror movies of the year. A modern fairytale that subtly works its way into your psyche, both Franz and Fiala have confidently crafted a timeless horror film that masterfully toys with your perceptions and perfectly plays up the ambiguity of the situation between Lukas, Elias and (possibly) their mother up until Goodnight Mommy’s brutally bleak conclusion. I simply love when a film can not only surprise me but also keeps me thinking long after I’ve seen it. Goodnight Mommy hit me in ways I’m still trying to comprehend, even after a week since seeing it. It's just absolute perfection from start to finish. I look forward to seeing whatever both Fiala and Franz do next as filmmakers.
Movie Score: 5/5
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
