Mothers of Monsters was named by Rotten Tomatoes one of the "Top 100 Best Found Footage Movies".[1]
Plot
The film follows Abbey Bell, a single mother who grows increasingly suspicious that her teenage son, Jacob, is exhibiting dangerous and psychopathic behavior. Convinced that he may be planning a violent attack, Abbey secretly sets up hidden cameras throughout their home to document his actions.
As Abbey records Jacob's disturbing behavior—such as his obsession with violent video games, manipulative tendencies, and collection of unsettling drawings—she becomes more paranoid. She shares her concerns through video diary entries, questioning whether she is an overprotective, paranoid mother or if Jacob is genuinely dangerous.
As the film progresses, Jacob becomes aware of his mother's surveillance and begins to psychologically torment her, blurring the lines between reality and paranoia. Their relationship descends into a chilling battle of wits, leading to a tense and unexpected climax.
Director Tucia Lyman shot the movie using numerous surveillance cameras mostly in one location (up to 6 in a single scene), carefully arranged by photography director Matt Paulsen.[2]
Tucia's background in documentary television made her want to give the movie an unpolished documentary look that feels gritty and uncomfortably voyeuristic, so the audience would have a sense of peeking through a keyhole into the intimate life of someone else's dysfunctional family. After the actors finished their interpretation of a scene, Tucia Lyman would ask them to forget all their training and deliver their lines again as simply as possible, for the documentary-style, slice-of-life feel that she had envisioned.[2]
Most of the film crew, including all the department heads, were female.[2]
Release
The movie premiered at the Arena Cinelounge Theaterin Hollywood on March 13, 2020, and simultaneously online on streaming platforms.[3][2]
It screened at On Vous Ment! Mockumentary Film Festival in France on May 7, 2022.[3]
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes the movie holds a 70% approval rating based on 10 reviews, with top critic Kristy Puchko calling it "a diamond in the rough" that "horror fans should seek out", and C.H. Newell appreciating "Tucia Lyman's focus on the ethical/social dilemmas in which mothers find themselves, specifically when raising boys growing up into dangerous young men."[4][5][6][7]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
