Skip to content
MovieCove
Mother's Day

Mother's Day

Don't Misbehave.

2010112 minRMidcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Director
Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring
Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Frank Grillo, Patrick John Flueger

Crazed members of a sadistic family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new owners.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Mother's Day?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Mother's Day streaming on Howdy via Prime Video, MovieSphere+ via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Mother's Day?

Mother's Day earns 8 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Not for the squeamish.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Mother's Day worth watching?

Mother's Day's Midcredits score is the 49th percentile of all films, from 29K ratings across 5 sources. 49% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

49th percentile

Better received than 49% of films

47th percentile among Drama50th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)47th
Approval (how many liked it)51st

61 /100

47th percentile of all films

45th percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2010s

Critics 34 · Audience 62

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

49% liked it

51st percentile of all films

49th percentile among Drama51st percentile among 2010s
49% rated it 7–1051% rated it 1–6

Critics 42% · Audience 52%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

90th percentile

29K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Drama90th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$11M
Worldwide gross$863K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 58th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A home-invasion thriller anchored by Rebecca De Mornay's sinister performance, with a talented cast overcoming a familiar, logic-strained plot.

Fans praised

  • Rebecca De Mornay's villainous presence and commanding performance
  • Cast chemistry and standout work from Jaime King, Patrick Flueger, and Warren Kole
  • Moody tension and atmospheric home-invasion setup with dark suspense

Detractors panned

  • Illogical character choices and poor writing that undermine the plot
  • Clichéd setup and derivative of 90s thrillers, lacking originality
  • Tone shifts unintentionally into comedy due to ridiculous scenarios

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Cast praised across camps, especially De Mornay's menacing turn

AtmosphereDivisive70

Creepy, claustrophobic home-invasion tension

TensionDivisive65

Suspenseful but undermined by silly choices for some

PacingDivisive60

Hits ground running and maintains tension, though some feel it drags

Emotional impactDivisive50

Sympathy for characters in peril, but flat for detractors

CharactersDivisive45

Depth for some, but stock and dumb for detractors

Plot and storyDivisive40

Intricate for fans, poorly crafted and clichéd for detractors

Originality35

Derivative of 90s thrillers, but some find plot layered

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Mother's Day like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDread
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.
ToneThe film plays its brutal material straight, aiming for visceral suspense and horror without winking at the audience.
The rideThe film maintains a relentless tension from the home invasion onward, with occasional spikes of brutality and horror, but the pressure never lets up.
StructureThe film opens with a cold open at the hospital before moving back to the party, then follows a mostly linear sequence of escalating events. The structure is conventional thriller storytelling.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering sense of dread and moral discomfort, with the brutal violence and twisted family dynamics staying with the viewer.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a group of hostages terrorized by a criminal family, with the matriarch as the dominant antagonist. The plot is driven by the captors' desire for money and the hostages' attempts to survive and escape.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalFamily bondsBetrayal · 5% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is fundamentally about the desperate struggle to survive a home invasion, but it twists this with a toxic, all-consuming family bond that drives the violence and betrayal.
StanceThe film presents survival and family bonds in a deeply negative light, warning of the destructive potential of blind familial loyalty and the lengths to which people will go to protect it.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticSuburbanIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Bobby Johnston
SettingA suburban home during a tornado, with various locations including a hospital, ATM, dry cleaner's, and an RV.
MusicThe score enhances the tension and dread without overshadowing the on-screen violence.

Content guide

Is Mother's Day okay for kids?

R

Mother's Day is rated R: “Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence and torture, pervasive language and some sexual content” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (100/100), sexual content at moderate (43/100), language at severe (100/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at intense (78/100). Its drug and alcohol content has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 95% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany18
  • France12
  • Ireland18
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 96% of all filmsHeavier than 95% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 41%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 75%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, language, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Mother's Day have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Mother's Day?

Cast

Rebecca De Mornay
as Mother
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jaime King
as Beth
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Frank Grillo
as Daniel
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Patrick John Flueger
as Ike
Warren Kole
as Addley
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Deborah Ann Woll
as Lydia
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Matt O'Leary
as Johnny
Briana Evigan
as Annette
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Shawn Ashmore
as George
Kandyse McClure
as Gina

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Mother's Day?

Movies like Mother's Day include The Dark Hours (2005), Frontier(s) (2007) and Saw II (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, most are captor-and-captive stories, and several are hostage stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its story type: home invasion. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Mother's Day?

304 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: home invasion. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.