Overview
A chilling tale of doubt and fear unfolds as a family is torn apart by uncertainty.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- oppressive
- paranoid
- late night horror
- arthouse horror night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an expertly controlled, increasingly alarming psychological horror story driven by cruelty, atmosphere, and family unease.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The twin brothers' understanding of their mother's identity governs the film's escalating uncertainty and terror.
The isolated house, bandaged mother, rigid routines, and punishment rituals transform domestic life into a hostile environment.
The twins suspect that the woman returning from cosmetic surgery is not their mother, linking physical alteration to fractured familial trust.
The sparse cast, countryside isolation, measured escalation, and emotionally brutal parent-child conflict create severe, intimate horror.
Films like Goodnight Mommy, and why
The Innocents
Shared psychological horror, isolated domestic setting, child-centered dread, and escalating uncertainty about identity and trust.
The Babadook
Shared unsettling family horror, ambiguous perceptions, disturbing imagery, and emotionally claustrophobic parent-child conflict.
The Orphanage
Shared austere European atmosphere, secretive domestic relationships, identity anxiety, and slow-building psychological terror.
Funny Games
Shared provocative art-horror style, children confronted with adult violence, and escalating punishment within an isolated household.
Movie Details
- Directors
- Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
- Release Date
- 2015-01-08
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (1743)
Cast
- Elias Schwarz
- Lukas Schwarz
- Susanne Wuest
- Hans Escher
- Elfriede Schatz
- Karl Purker
- Georg Deliovsky
- Christian Steindl
- Christian Schatz
- Erwin Schmalzbauer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Goodnight Mommy about?
- Austrian twins test the identity of their bandaged mother until childhood suspicion curdles into devastating psychological horror.
- What is Goodnight Mommy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Goodnight Mommy as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Goodnight Mommy violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Goodnight Mommy as graphic.
- What did critics think of Goodnight Mommy?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an expertly controlled, increasingly alarming psychological horror story driven by cruelty, atmosphere, and family unease.
- Which films are like Goodnight Mommy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Innocents, The Babadook, The Orphanage, and Funny Games.
- How long is Goodnight Mommy?
- Goodnight Mommy runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Goodnight Mommy?
- In United States, Goodnight Mommy streams on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
