Mom and Dad Review

Every parent has been there.

Your kid, you who love very dearly and would do anything for, is being a dick. They’re not listening, or they’re giving you attitude, or they’re doing something so damn slowly.

You could just throttle them!

So I’ll admit a sense of catharsis whilst watching this black comedy horror from Brian Taylor. The performances are entertaining and the core idea horrifically interesting. It’s a crazy, zippy look that maybe could have peered harder and give us even more. Like a passing glance at the idea rather than a hard look at how parenting is the best but hardest job.

The main strength of Mom and Dad is in fact the Mom and Dad. Taylor seems to really get what Blair and Cage can bring to this story and lets them get on with it. Whilst Blair’s Mom is more calculating and willing to lean into her motherly role to get the job done, Cage’s Dad is…well he’s Nic Cage. Unhinged and shouting in the best way. Watching the pair both before and after a mysterious hysteria compels parents to kill their offspring, is the highlight of the film. They touch on giving themselves up so they can be parents, and wondering where the time went. Plus of course how to murder their kids, in a very honest and bickering fashion.

There was always going to be a balance between the comedy and horror, and overall it’s managed well. Several times the film swerves from what could have made it unwatchable for many. But it’s still shocking in places, whilst the aforementioned aspects of parenthood bring plenty of knowing “yeah I feel that” moments.

As a parent I’ve naturally focused and related to their part of the story. But I was young once too you know! This could be a really useful film for a teenager to watch with the adults in their life. Not a film I expected to possibly open up a conversation between generations. But it could be.

As I’ve written this review and given more thought to what I originally thought was an annoyance of mine. I generally like to know why things are happening and I like detail. So not getting explanations frustrates me. But perhaps in the moment I was missing the point. Mom and Dad isn’t about the how. It’s about relating to the feelings we all have as parents. Even if we don’t want to admit it.