Jessica Chastain Dazzles at the ‘Other Mommy’ Fan Screening as Horror Film Releases

voice film logo squareArthur S. Poe
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Few spooky-season releases have captivated audiences as quickly as ‘Other Mommy’. The Universal horror film, featuring Jessica Chastain, has spent weeks establishing a reputation for jump scares and chilling moments. Now, the wait is almost over.

The marketing campaign kicked off in mid-September, with Universal unveiling a promo on Sept. 14, followed by a full trailer on Sept. 15. The two showcased different footage, with the promo highlighting a chilling bathtub scene featuring Chastain. According to Dread Central, director Rob Savage has mentioned that the film includes around 50 jump scares.

This momentum led to a unique fan event. Chastain attended a fan screening of ‘Other Mommy’ dressed in a vibrant chartreuse satin mini dress with a draped, ruched hem, complemented by metallic strappy heels and a short, wavy blonde bob. Photos from the night capture her waving to cameras in front of a bold red backdrop adorned with the film’s branding, looking far from the haunted household depicted in the film.

The event is part of BlumFest, a celebration centered around the film, and Cinemark’s listing indicates that the screening includes bonus content shown before the movie. For a horror release, this kind of early fan engagement is a savvy strategy. Genre audiences often attend in groups, and an event that rewards enthusiastic fans can effectively translate word of mouth into box office success.

This approach aligns with how the film has been marketed from the beginning. The trailer was shown before ‘The Odyssey’, and audience reactions quickly surfaced. Some moviegoers on TikTok advised viewers to look away, while others suggested that theaters should provide warnings before screening it.

Reactions to the trailer have been mixed. Some reviewers noted that the jump scares were effective, but others felt the remainder of the film resembled standard horror fare. Meanwhile, commenters on the first trailer found it compelling and expressed hopes that the film could become a surprise hit. This tension between excitement and skepticism is precisely what a fan screening aims to address.

The film follows Bela, an 8-year-old girl whose parents are facing marital issues. A sinister presence begins to emerge from her closet, which Bela refers to as ‘Other Mommy’ because it resembles her mother. As the entity becomes increasingly threatening, the entire family is drawn into the danger.

Chastain portrays both Bela’s human mother, Ursula, and the entity itself, adding a deliciously unsettling duality to her role. In the trailer, the entity is visible to Bela but not to others, forcing Ursula to protect her daughter from a threat she cannot always see. Jay Duplass plays Bela’s father, Russ, while Arabella Olivia Clark stars as Bela.

The supporting cast features Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, and Karen Allen. The film is rated R and has a runtime of 1 hour and 43 minutes.

Rob Savage directs from a screenplay by Nathan Elston, who also contributed to ‘Succession’. The story is adapted from Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel ‘Incidents Around the House’. James Wan, known for ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘Insidious’, produces through his Atomic Monster banner alongside Blumhouse.

Production commenced in May 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. Initially scheduled for May, Universal moved the release to Oct. 9, placing it right in the heart of the horror season. This also marks one of the first projects from Atomic Monster following its merger with Blumhouse in early 2024.

Casting an Oscar winner in a dual role gives ‘Other Mommy’ a prestige that many horror releases lack. Chastain’s glamorous appearance at the fan screening emphasizes how seriously she and the studio are approaching this project. Watching her transition from a red-carpet glow to a demonic presence on screen is part of the film’s allure.

With the film now set to open in theaters on Oct. 9, the only remaining question is whether it can convert all that trailer buzz into genuine scares. Fans who attended the early event are already part of the discussion, and the first full audience reactions will be arriving soon.

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