Mom and Dad – Film Review

The 2017 film Mom and Dad is a bizarre and unsettling dive into suburban mayhem that is sure to split audiences. Directed by Brian Taylor, known for the high-octane Crank series, this film takes a wickedly dark comedic approach to the concept of parental instinct gone awry. Starring Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair as the titular parents, Mom and Dad explores a peculiar and terrifying scenario where parents inexplicably become fixated on murdering their own children. This review aims to dissect the film’s myriad components, analyzing its thematic depth, performances, direction, screenplay, and overall impact.

At the heart of Mom and Dad is a premise that is both outlandish and chilling: a mysterious mass hysteria breaks out, compelling parents to violently turn against their offspring. This horrific concept taps into deep-seated fears around trust, familial bonds, and the sanctity of the home as a safe haven. The film’s narrative attempts to juggle satirical social commentary with the sheer insanity of its central idea, yielding uneven but frequently engaging results.

Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair deliver performances that are key to the film’s uneasy balance between horror and dark comedy. Cage, in particular, revels in the over-the-top nature of the situation, embracing a level of manic energy that harkens back to some of his most iconic roles. His portrayal of Brent Ryan, a disillusioned father grappling with midlife crisis, provides some of the film’s most memorable and disturbing moments. Blair, for her part, offers a nuanced counterweight to Cage’s frenzied performance, embodying a sense of lost identity and maternal conflict with great effect. Together, they create a fascinatingly twisted dynamic that stands as the film’s strongest asset.

Director Brian Taylor’s stylistic choices underscore the film’s chaotic energy. His use of quick cuts, a pulsating soundtrack, and an overall aesthetic of suburban decay amplify the story’s inherent absurdity. While these choices effectively convey the film’s frenetic pace and contribute to some genuinely thrilling sequences, they can also detract from moments that might have benefited from a more restrained approach. This stylistic excess occasionally undermines the film’s potential for deeper emotional resonance or social critique, leaving some of the narrative’s more intriguing implications unexplored.

The screenplay, also penned by Taylor, is a mixed bag of clever ideas, sharp dialogues, and missed opportunities. At its best, Mom and Dad skewers the traditional American family unit, poking holes in the idyllic veneer of suburban life and exposing the underlying frustrations and disappointments. The film gleefully dismantles the myth of parental infallibility, presenting a world where the very people supposed to protect and nurture their children become their most immediate threats. However, the film’s satirical edge can feel blunted by its adherence to genre tropes and a reluctance to delve deeper into the societal and psychological underpinnings of its premise.

Moreover, Mom and Dad suffers from pacing issues and a lack of satisfactory resolution. While the initial buildup is effectively unsettling, leading to a gripping midpoint, the narrative seems to run out of steam as it approaches its climax. The film’s conclusion, in particular, feels both abrupt and anticlimactic, leaving several thematic threads dangling and giving a sense that the story’s full potential wasn’t fully realized.

Despite these criticisms, Mom and Dad remains a unique and audacious film that succeeds in leaving a lasting impression. It is a movie that dares to confront its audience with uncomfortable questions about parenthood, societal expectations, and the darker aspects of human nature. For those willing to embrace its mixture of horror and black comedy, there are undoubted pleasures and shocks to be found. The film’s ability to elicit strong reactions, whether of horror, amusement, or bewilderment, is a testament to its boldness and creativity.

Mom and Dad is a divisive film that oscillates between moments of brilliant madness and frustrating incoherence. Its high-energy direction, compelling performances, and intriguing premise make it a memorable addition to the horror-comedy genre. However, its narrative shortcomings and stylistic overindulgences prevent it from achieving the deeper impact it occasionally hints at. Ultimately, this is a film that will fascinate and frustrate in equal measure.