Once seen, never forgotten. That's my feeling regarding Rebecca De Mornay's role in THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE; she was one of the most chilling psychopaths ever seen on screen. Others must agree with me, because she repeats a similar role in this home invasion horror story that's apparently a remake of a Z-grade Troma movie from yesteryear.
MOTHER'S DAY is an unpleasant film, there are no two ways about it. Much of the film feels like a glorification of violence, and the rest is all about the suspense building up to the next violent encounter. The storyline is simplicity in itself – a household full of partygoers having a good time is invaded by some on-the-run criminals, who think nothing of murdering anybody who gets in their way. Much of the 'entertainment' value – if you can call it that – comes from second-guessing who's going to be the next to bite it, or attempting to work out how the good guys are going to extricate themselves from the situation.
I tend to enjoy home invasion movies, not because of their subject matter, but because it's relatively easy to make a successful one. The single location settings bring claustrophobia to the audience and characters, and I always enjoy seeing the captives turning the tables on their captors come the climax. Funnily enough, I recently saw the LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remake which covers much the same ground as this movie, with much the same style.
One of the benefits of MOTHER'S DAY is a pretty large cast which allows plenty of situations, showdowns and scenarios to be explored. One thing that quickly becomes tiresome is having the criminals making the hostages commit violent acts on one another, derivative gestures that are way too reminiscent of the SAW series (with whom MOTHER'S DAY shares its director). The cast is mixed, with De Mornay giving a typically intense performance that really pays off, but Jaime King is so poor as the supposed heroine that you'll be rooting for the bad guys to wipe her out. Supporting players like Lyriq Bent and Shawn Ashmore are much more interesting, but get short shift from the screenplay.
Also watch out for the silly twist ending, which is a step too far for this viewer and an entirely unsatisfying way to tie things up. In fact, the whole back story bookending De Mornay's character seems pointless; villains work better with less exposition, not more. Keeping the action within the house would have tightened things up nicely. Still, MOTHER'S DAY works well as a grisly, thrill-a-minute '70s throwback and horror fans should be in their element.
MOTHER'S DAY is an unpleasant film, there are no two ways about it. Much of the film feels like a glorification of violence, and the rest is all about the suspense building up to the next violent encounter. The storyline is simplicity in itself – a household full of partygoers having a good time is invaded by some on-the-run criminals, who think nothing of murdering anybody who gets in their way. Much of the 'entertainment' value – if you can call it that – comes from second-guessing who's going to be the next to bite it, or attempting to work out how the good guys are going to extricate themselves from the situation.
I tend to enjoy home invasion movies, not because of their subject matter, but because it's relatively easy to make a successful one. The single location settings bring claustrophobia to the audience and characters, and I always enjoy seeing the captives turning the tables on their captors come the climax. Funnily enough, I recently saw the LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remake which covers much the same ground as this movie, with much the same style.
One of the benefits of MOTHER'S DAY is a pretty large cast which allows plenty of situations, showdowns and scenarios to be explored. One thing that quickly becomes tiresome is having the criminals making the hostages commit violent acts on one another, derivative gestures that are way too reminiscent of the SAW series (with whom MOTHER'S DAY shares its director). The cast is mixed, with De Mornay giving a typically intense performance that really pays off, but Jaime King is so poor as the supposed heroine that you'll be rooting for the bad guys to wipe her out. Supporting players like Lyriq Bent and Shawn Ashmore are much more interesting, but get short shift from the screenplay.
Also watch out for the silly twist ending, which is a step too far for this viewer and an entirely unsatisfying way to tie things up. In fact, the whole back story bookending De Mornay's character seems pointless; villains work better with less exposition, not more. Keeping the action within the house would have tightened things up nicely. Still, MOTHER'S DAY works well as a grisly, thrill-a-minute '70s throwback and horror fans should be in their element.