‘Other Mommy’ Defies Harsh Reviews With Impressive Previews as Horror Dominates Box Office
Horror films have a unique ability to resonate with audiences, often disregarding critical reviews. This trend continues with Jessica Chastain’s latest release, ‘Other Mommy’, which showcases how a compelling premise can draw viewers to theaters despite negative feedback.
Produced by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, this R-rated film has generated buzz with its chilling concept. As it hit theaters, initial expectations were modest, making its early performance all the more impressive.
‘Other Mommy’ raked in $3.6 million during its Thursday previews, surpassing expectations significantly. This figure positions it ahead of several recent horror successes at the same stage. For context, ‘Black Phone 2’ earned $2.6 million, ‘Smile’ brought in $2 million, ‘Trap’ made $2.2 million, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ collected $2.5 million, and ‘M3GAN’ garnered $2.8 million.
The new film also outperformed ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ at $2.9 million, ‘Longlegs’ at $3 million, and the original ‘The Black Phone’ at $3 million. Only ‘Iron Lung’ and ‘Scream 5’, both at $3.5 million, were close competitors, but ‘Other Mommy’ managed to edge past them as well.
Horror remains the king at US #BoxOffice, as R-rated film #OtherMommy, starring #JessicaChastain, surprised with STRONG, much better than expected 3.6M THU Previews (vs #BlackPhone2’s 2.6M ,#Smile 2M, #Trap 2.2M, #EvilDeadRise 2.5M, #M3GAN’s 2.8M, #TheExorcistBeliever 2.9M, #LongLegs 3M, #TheBlackPhone 3M, #IronLung’s 3.5M, #Scream5’s 3.5M) In a normal world, an opening way over 30M+ would be locked, but reviews have been awful for the film. Even so, a 25M-30M 3-day opening weekend could still be in the cards, what would be incredible for a Blumhouse release..
— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) October 9, 2026
The preview numbers have sparked optimism that the film could achieve breakout success. Tracking estimates suggest an opening weekend between $22 million to $29 million domestically, with TheWrap projecting around $24 million, similar to the original ‘The Black Phone’, which opened at $23.6 million. Some estimates even predict a higher range, from $28.5 million to $35 million.
Typically, previews of this magnitude would indicate an opening exceeding $30 million. However, the film’s critical reception poses a significant challenge, making a more realistic projection between $25 million to $30 million for the three-day weekend. Nonetheless, this would still be a commendable outcome for a Blumhouse production.
Critics have not been kind to ‘Other Mommy’, which currently holds a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews. Many reviewers found it lacking in tension and criticized its direction, score, and reliance on jump scares. However, Chastain’s dual performance as both the mother, Ursula, and her eerie counterpart has received praise across the board.
Audience reactions on Letterboxd average around 3.19 out of 5, indicating a potential divide between critical and fan reception, a common occurrence in horror films.
The film is based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel ‘Incidents Around the House’, following an 8-year-old girl named Bela who faces turmoil as a sinister entity resembling her mother disrupts her life. Chastain portrays both characters, adding depth to the narrative.
Directed by Rob Savage, known for ‘Host’ and ‘The Boogeyman’, the film features a cast that includes Arabella Olivia Clark as Bela, Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman, and Arian Moayed. Produced by Jason Blum and James Wan, the film has a runtime of approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes.
First look at an eerie crying billboard for ‘OTHER MOMMY’, starring Jessica Chastain. The film follows a young girl who is threatened by a sinister demon that looks exactly like her mother. https://t.co/4g0jwHVQE6
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 8, 2026
As ‘Other Mommy’ enters a competitive Halloween season, it faces competition from Sony’s ‘Resident Evil’ and DC Studios’ ‘Clayface’, while ‘The Social Reckoning’ is projected to open around $8 million. This positions ‘Other Mommy’ favorably to potentially dominate the weekend box office.
Recent horror successes illustrate the impact of positive word of mouth. Films like ‘Obsession’, which opened at about $17 million, have gone on to gross $520 million globally, while ‘Backrooms’ debuted to $81.4 million and reached around $400 million worldwide. The ability of ‘Other Mommy’ to sustain momentum will largely depend on audience reactions as the weekend unfolds.
The crucial question remains what will happen post-opening weekend. A strong debut could lead to a profitable venture despite critical reviews, while poor word of mouth might result in a significant drop-off. For now, the previews indicate that audiences are intrigued.
Chastain’s presence is pivotal to the film’s appeal. Her performance has emerged as a consensus highlight among both critics and fans, potentially propelling the movie beyond its opening weekend.
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