- rg9400July 8, 2026I have now seen 3 movies by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz. I had similar issues with all of their movies. I think they really struggle to build moment-to-moment tension and suspense, causing a noticeable lack of atmosphere. Their concepts and themes are interesting, and after finishing the movie and stepping away, I often found myself thinking it was a clever way that it all worked out. However, they try so hard to mislead the viewer and keep their last-minute secrets hidden that it often does a disservice to the actual core themes and character relationships that lie at the heart of each movie. I thought Goodnight Mommy was middle of the pack in their filmography because it suffers from all of these issues without making up for it in other ways. The central mystery isn't too hidden, but the movie tries to keep playing with it until the very end, often not actually examining the way the twins and the mothers used to interact or their past to really highlight why the current situation feels so awkward. This is the problem with these filmmakers. Even though there are interesting subversions throughout their filmography that could lead to strong questions about family structures, they never want to actually delve into those topics. The acting is solid and there is some more gore, so it is at least more engaging as The Devil's Bath, but it lacks the more unique aspects of The Lodge.
- Evan MayJuly 10, 2025Watched “Goodnight Mommy” (2014 Austrian original). The premise plays on our anxieties about doppelgängers and twins. But the story reveals the dualities trauma creates, and the masks we choose to wear because of it. When tragedy comes home, are we still safe with the ones we love? Beautifully shot film. No cheap horror tactics, but no less disturbing.
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Goodnight Mommy was released on August 30, 2014.
Goodnight Mommy was directed by Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz.
Goodnight Mommy has a runtime of 1h 40m.
Goodnight Mommy was produced by Ulrich Seidl.
In a lonesome house in the countryside between woods and cornfields live nine-year-old twin brothers who are waiting for their mother in the heat of summer. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before. The children start to doubt that this woman is actually their mother. An existential struggle for identity and fundamental trust emerges.
The key characters in Goodnight Mommy are Elias (Elias Schwarz), Lukas (Lukas Schwarz), Mother (Susanne Wuest).
Goodnight Mommy is rated R.
Goodnight Mommy is a Horror, Thriller, Mystery film.
Goodnight Mommy has an audience rating of 6.6 out of 10.
Goodnight Mommy has made $2.2M at the box office.