MOTHER’S DAY(18): On General Release Friday 10th June From the director of the Saw series comes another horror film, but this time around there are no games, traps or ridiculous swirly faced dolls, just plenty of gore, violence, death and unnecessary plot twists.
Fitting in somewhere between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and teen slasher movie Scream, Mother’s Day is a remake of a 1980’s film about a violent group of hillbillies returning to their family home following a botched bank robbery. However they don’t realise that their mother has sold up and a couple now live there who just happen to be having a party when the two gun-toting hicks rock up with their injured brother. As surprise descends into violence and kidnapping, it’s not long before they’re on the phone to their dear mother, with Rebecca De Morney portraying the sweet yet sadistic psychopathic leader of the family clan who arrives at the house with a daughter in tow to sort out the situation.
What follows is a somewhat farcical and frustrating serious of events, with the new owners of the house and their friends seemingly incapable of outwitting and overpowering a bunch of foolsih brothers and their mostly unarmed mother. The film, like the Saw series, is typically uncomfortable viewing and the make up department must have had a field day with director Darren Lynn Bousman packing in as much gratuitous gore, lacerated flesh and blood as possible.
Despite having to work with several corny scenes and one-dimensional characters, 1980’s Risky Business actress De Morney is on good form playing an infertile baby-stealing mother with more than just a couple of screws loose. However, you can’t help but feel that her contribution is overshadowed by a pathetically scripted and directionless friendship between a Doctor and the daughter of the family, and some unrealistic plot twists which were just unnecessary.
In summary, the film just felt too long, with more than a few scenes taking away from the stories rhythm and seemingly just being added to string out the tale. As a viewer, it’s hard to know how to take Mother’s Day, with scenes like a woman getting shot in the head with a nail gun getting laughs rather than the intended reaction of shock and horror. But it’s moments like this that make this cheesy horror romp perhaps worthy of a watch for some unserious fun, however if you don’t like blood or the sound of throats being cut, best to give the popcorn a miss.
