Mom & Dad
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Movie Meter: 5/10
Available: Hulu
Genre: Horror Comedy
Release: 2018
Review:
Mom and Dad is an intense horror thriller comedy starring Nicholas Cage and Selma Blair as Mom & Dad. The pair play Brent and Kendall Ryan, who are parents to two children (Carly & Josh). The Ryans face their fair share of family issues, but nothing too out of the ordinary.
Brent is not a fan of Carly’s (Anne Winter) boyfriend Damon (Robert T. Cunningham), which isn’t all that unusual in a high school relationship. However, Brent and Damon’s father-boyfriend relationship becomes the least of their worries when mass hysteria sweeps the country causing all parents to suddenly feel the urge to kill their children.
The premise of the film is similar to that of Bird Box (2018), but instead of mass suicide, its mass homicide. They briefly give a scientific explanation for the parents’ violent urges citing similar behavior in other species, but I wasn’t taking it seriously enough to even entertain the idea.
I liked Mom & Dad because it was fun and it didn’t take itself too seriously, which is quite the opposite of Bird Box. You probably already know by now if this is something you’d watch, and I encourage anyone who does to refrain from taking it too seriously.
Nicholas Cage was incredible in his intense outlandish portrayal of an enraged and violent father trying to murder his children. It almost seemed like Cage took all of his past roles and channeled them into this deranged character. Selma Blair was also scary good as Kendall (Mom), and her in Nicholas Cage had fantastic chemistry playing off of each other.
Mom & Dad was a fun wacky movie, and I kind of enjoyed it, but I’m a big horror fan. With that being said, I probably would not rewatch this film, as its’ premise is so wildly outlandish I think it can only be watched once.
The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2017 to rave reviews, and earned a solid 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. Brian Taylor did a solid job directing the movie, and it’s not the first time he and Nick Cage have teamed up. The duo also worked together on Ghost Rider (2007).
If you are a horror movie fan or like wacky out-there movies, I highly suggest giving this movie a shot. If not, then this movie is probably not your cup of tea. All things considered, I am giving Mom & Dad a generous 5 🍌’s.
