Thescreescore – The curtain falls on Universal and Blumhouse’s 2026 cinematic calendar with a whimper, not a bang, as their latest horror offering, Other Mommy, concludes the year on a decidedly sour note with audiences. Following a tumultuous 2025 riddled with back-to-back disappointments, the studio had pinned hopes on 2026 being a year of resurgence. While films like Lee Cronin’s The Mummy achieved moderate financial success and Obsession emerged as a critical darling, the highly anticipated Other Mommy was poised to deliver a final triumph. Unfortunately, those aspirations have been largely dashed.
With over 500 audience ratings now registered, Other Mommy has mustered a disheartening 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. This marks a significant setback for director Rob Savage, representing the second-lowest audience score of his career. Furthermore, it unfortunately positions the film as the second-worst performing Blumhouse title of the year in terms of audience reception, narrowly surpassing Strung, which languished at 43%.
Leading up to its theatrical debut, the buzz around Blumhouse’s supernatural thriller was palpable. Trailers for Other Mommy captivated online audiences, going viral for their unsettling atmosphere and potent shock value, particularly a chilling jump scare featuring Jessica Chastain’s eerie doppelgänger lurking beneath a kitchen table. This masterful marketing strategy successfully cultivated a high level of anticipation among horror enthusiasts, setting the stage for what many believed would be a surefire hit.
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However, a significant red flag emerged just days before release: a conspicuous absence of pre-release press screenings for critics and film pundits. This move often signals a studio’s lack of confidence in a film’s quality. As expected, once critics had the opportunity to view the movie on its preview day, a wave of predominantly negative reviews followed. With 56 reviews tallied, Other Mommy currently sits at a dismal 18% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers frequently cited a rushed narrative, poorly executed visual effects, and a failure to imbue the film’s unique story deviation with any meaningful emotional depth. Despite director Savage’s boasts of over 50 jump scares, both critics and audiences largely agreed that the terror felt cheap and unearned. Even Jessica Chastain’s commendable dual performance couldn’t elevate the film beyond a perception of being more silly than genuinely scary, leading some viewers to adopt a "so-bad-it’s-good" perspective, finding unintended humor in its flaws.
Despite the overwhelmingly negative reception, the strategic delay in reviews may have inadvertently benefited the film’s initial box office performance. With a reported budget of $19 million, Other Mommy is projected to achieve a $28 million domestic three-day opening, surprisingly outperforming Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning. This debut estimate also surpasses the openings of Obsession ($17.2 million) and Insidious: Out of the Further ($25.1 million). Nevertheless, industry analysts at thescreescore.com suggest that Blumhouse’s final 2026 release is unlikely to maintain this momentum, given the polarizing audience and critical response.
While Blumhouse concludes its 2026 slate on a disappointing note, Universal still has opportunities for a stronger finish with its upcoming releases, Focker-in-Law and Violent Night 2. Meanwhile, Blumhouse itself looks towards a promising 2027, boasting a packed schedule that includes Mike Flanagan’s highly anticipated The Exorcist: Martyrs, River, and a new installment in the Paranormal Activity franchise. Curry Barker, the director behind the successful Obsession, is also set to reunite with Blumhouse for a new horror project, Anything but Ghosts, slated for May 2027.
Other Mommy is an adaptation of Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel Incidents Around the House. The film centers on a family tormented by a malevolent supernatural entity that eerily mimics Chastain’s matriarch. The supporting cast features Jay Duplass, Arabella Olivia Clark, Dichen Lachman, and Arian Moayed. Other Mommy is currently playing in theaters.
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