Naomi Watts in 'Goodnight Mommy'

Goodnight Mommy (2022) is a horror movie directed by Matt Sobel, starring Naomi Watts.

Considering how masterful the original 2014 version of ‘Goodnight Mommy’ was (you can read the reviews here), it is no wonder Hollywood bought the rights and has gone about producing a re-make.

And casting the brave, versatile and über talented Naomi Watts to play the role of the mother in this movie strikes us as a genius move.

A good movie that differs from the 2014 original version, better adapted to appeal to a broader audience by being more evocative and Hollywood in style.

As spectators of both versions, we do appreciate that they have not merely made a carbon copy of the original.

Premise

Two twin brothers return home during their summer break, to encounter their mother covered in bandages following a cosmetic surgery, and a demeanor that is not quite familiar to them.

Review

Here we have yet another remake with Naomi Watts taking on the protagonist role, and one of a horror movie (The Ring). It is a film that leaves behind some of the intrigue and the subtle portrayal of evil that the original version had so well accomplished. However, it does bring new elements to the story that are interesting.

If you have not seen the first version, this 2022 film does have its very own scare inducing traits and surprises. This version is far more Hitchcokian and less nebulous in its delivery. Evidently, the premise was already set, and on this occasion they play more with the plot than the setting and the twisted (the obvious plots in the 2014 version). In this American Goodnight Mommy, we are invited to doubt if in fact it is the real mother, or not, as the two twins start to question her.

The script is really well crafted, being highly evocative, as is the the premise. Perhaps, dare we say, the premise is better laid out in this last version both in the screenplay and in the approach in some of the scenes.

It is slow, however, not tiresome, and manages to maintain the tension throughout the entire movie. Does it lean more towards the psychological horror than it does on gore? Well, this version, is built on the intrigue and suspense, albeit not as much as in the original movie, and it does also have a few horrifying and impactful scenes that we did not see in the Austrian version.

All in all, the suspense is well carried along on all levels, hence the constant tension, and it does have shocking scenes, as well as being technically well produced.

When it comes to Naomi Watts we would rather not comment, or we needn’t comment, because she is the great actress she is and never lets us down, be the movie good or not. In Goodnight Mommy, she yet again impresses with her performance, although we doubt it will get her an Oscar, she can add it to her long list of great appearances.

Our Opinion

It is always a conundrum when you like the a movie and it is then remade into a new version; it becomes difficult to leave the prejudice and the feeling of betrayal behind. Wasn’t the original version good enough? Well, with Goodnight Mommy (2022) we concede that they have managed to produce a good remake of this horror story, and they have done so with enough consideration as to cast fantastic actors. Using the same premise, but with noticeable adaptations to appeal to a broader audience, in the visual and the narrative form, coming across as far more realistic, less fantastical, and terrifying nonetheless.

But lets be frank: it is not as subtle and elegantly terrifying as the original.