Other Mommy

Rob Savage directs Other Mommy, a psychological horror adaptation of Josh Malerman's novella. Jessica Chastain stars as Ursula, a mother grappling with domestic instability while her daughter hears whispers from the walls. The film explores the fracture between reality and a parasitic entity that mimics maternal affection.

Released on October 8, 2026, by Universal Pictures, the project marks a collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster. Cinematographer Lowell A. Meyer captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Miller family home, which serves as the primary setting for the narrative. [편집]

The narrative opens with the Miller family relocating to a sprawling Victorian house in an attempt to heal their fraying relationship. Ursula struggles to maintain control over her chaotic life while raising her young daughter, Bela. Her husband, Russ, attempts to play the role of the stoic provider but is increasingly plagued by feelings of inadequacy and distance from his wife and child. The inciting incident occurs when eight-year-old Bela begins hearing faint, whispering voices emanating from within the walls of the house.

These whispers introduce themselves as Other Mommy, a version of Ursula who promises to be more patient, playful, and attentive than the real mother. Initially dismissed as the product of a child's vivid imagination or stress manifesting as auditory hallucinations, the phenomenon quickly escalates beyond mere whispers. Objects begin to move without cause, doors slam shut on their own, and the architecture of the house seems to shift during the night, creating a labyrinthine environment that traps the family inside their own fears.

As the haunting intensifies, the entity known as Other Mommy begins to mimic Ursula with terrifying precision. It adopts her voice, mannerisms, and even her physical appearance, exploiting the uncanny valley effect to terrify those around it. Unlike traditional ghosts that seek to harm, Other Mommy appears seductive and benevolent, offering Bela a world without rules, consequences, or the strictures of parental discipline. Bela becomes increasingly drawn to this illusion, finding solace in a figure that validates her desires rather than challenging them.

Meanwhile, Russ faces visions of his own failures as a protector, taunted by the entity regarding his inability to provide stability for his family. Ursula soon realizes that the entity is not merely a ghost but a parasitic spirit feeding on belief, affection, and vulnerability. It thrives on the psychological fractures within the family unit, specifically targeting the bond between mother and daughter. As the line between reality and the entity's false paradise blurs, Ursula discovers that the spirit requires verbal consent to fully possess the child.

Russ attempts to employ traditional protection methods, such as salt lines and iron barriers, but these measures fail against an enemy that operates on a purely psychological level. The entity preys on Bela's loneliness and desire for unconditional acceptance, offering a seductive alternative to the hardships of real love. Ursula races against time to reclaim her daughter's trust before Bela agrees to let the other mother in, realizing that saving her child means confronting the terrifying reflection of her own maternal insecurities.[편집]