Review: You Are Not My Mother

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

You Are Not My Mother
Directed by Kate Dolan
Bankside Films; Fantastic Films; Screen Ireland; Magnolia Pictures; Magnet Releasing
93 minutes, 2022
http://www.magnetreleasing.com/youarenotmymother/

There is an actual psychiatric disorder, Capgras Syndrome, where people believe their loved ones have been replaced by duplicates for various reasons. Actor Tony Rosato (“SCTV,” “SNL”; d. 2017) was perfectly normal in the day-to-day, but was committed to a hospital because if he came into contact with any of his family, he became violent because he believed they were replicants.

Dublin (Ireland) high school art student Char (Hazel Doupe, who has amazing and penetrating blue eyes), like any other kid her age, is under a lot of pressure: she’s being bullied by a bunch of kids in and out of school, and in her own home, her mom, Angela (Carolyn Bracken) has been acting absent and now has made that physical by disappearing, uncle Aaron (Paul Reid) is trying to stay calm about the chaos going on around the family, and grandmother Rita (Ingrid Craigie) is a bit of a mystery, as the very chilling prologue shows us.

Hazel Doupe

The second act opens with the mom’s return, which I’m not giving anything away if you read the title. She’s different though, sometimes normal and affectionate, others stoic, sitting in a chair silently; and then there are the hyper-aggressive moments. Char begins to wonder if, well, again, the name of the film. At this point, there is definitely a Hereditary (2018) vibe going on, especially after the prologue, though whether that is accurate by the end or not I probably won’t say in the review. There are also a couple of bits strewn throughout that reminds me of the original version of The Wicker Man (1973). Even the parents of her bully classmates, the latter of which is Suzzanne (Jordanne Jones), who lives next door, warns her to stay away from Char and her kith and kin.

There are so many ways this can go, but the supernatural seems like the most – er – natural given the storyline, the circumstances and hints, such as a pagan cross on the wall. Then there is the image on the film’s poster, which gives away a bit too much, and yet is just right for drawing an audience. I’m not quite sure how much of this tale is original, or based on Irish legends (perhaps the Banshee?). Still, once it picks up the pace, that seems less important than what is happening on the screen.

The film starts off with a very, very slow burn, but introduces the characters nicely. It really starts to pick up once mummy dearest comes home, thanks to her erratic and sometimes violent behavior. It is also a film that is strongly female-based, and in fact, Aaron is the only consistent male character throughout. But this is not a “men-bad-women-good” film, as there are both positive and negative female characters, such as lead bully, Kelly (Katie White), and Aaron is not a masculinist meathead. That was quite refreshing. To be honest, there were a couple of comeuppances I was looking forward to that never came, which for me was the film’s weakest point, but between mummy and daughter, there was a few pretty novel ideas thrown in that are noteworthy, but I will keep my lips sealed to keep the spoiler alert triggers down to a minimum.

Carolyn Bracken

This could be considered a Halloween-themed film, as it takes place in the weeks before the holiday, which of course is another clue of the film’s possible direction. Here it is in May, and it really does seem like a good/necessary time to be looking towards what I am assuming is an important holiday to whomever is reading this review.

This isn’t a gore-fest, but it has its violent moments that work really well in its more subtle form. Nothing is needed to be proven, as this is heavily character- and story-driven. The SFX looks great, when it is flashed, so pay attention!

Much of the cast is quite young, but holds their own with the more seasoned older actors. While Doupe shines in this, it is Bracken who steals the scenes as a mom on the verge of …

The film is dark and shadowy, even the outside shots, thanks to it always being overcast (well, it is Ireland). Very well shot by cinematographer Narayan Van Maele, it is moody, brooding, and yes, mysterious.

After years of shorts and music videos, this is director and writer Kate Dolan‘s feature debut. Her pacing could be picked up a bit, but generally this is a very fine film, and a welcome addition to the genre.

IMBD Listing HERE