‘Goodnight Mommy’ Review – Naomi Watts Delivers a Captivating Performance

Naomi Watts (The Ring, Funny Games) once again leads an American remake of an acclaimed international horror film. This time, she stars in an English language update of the 2014 Austrian horror movie by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, Goodnight Mommy. This remake may not drastically shake up the story, but it does alter its approach to psychological horror and serves as a solid introduction for the unacquainted. 

Dad (Peter Hermann) drops twins Elias (Cameron Crovetti) and Lukas (Nicholas Crovetti) off at their mother’s countryside home for a stay. The boys are immediately taken aback when greeted by the heavily gauzed appearance of their Mother (Watts). While she apologizes, blaming a cosmetic procedure, it’s not just her covered head that leaves the twins on edge. Mother is quick to anger, and that’s only the beginning of her peculiar behavior that leaves Elias and Lukas suspicious that she’s not who she says she is. 

Director Matt Sobel (“Brand New Cherry Flavor”), working from a script by Kyle Warren, doesn’t quite achieve the same level of unrelenting dread as the original. Instead, he puts a stronger emphasis on ambiguity. Not just in whether the twins are correct in their suspicions, but whether something supernatural could be to blame for the strange behavior. Sobel achieves this from some compelling and unexpected horror imagery. 

Watts’ performance enhances the monstrous visions. Mother is a famous actress motivated by vanity. This iteration underscores this personality trait to a fascinating degree, giving Watts plenty of room to play. She can deftly switch between icy and vulnerable in ways that shift allegiances. Watts’ character uses her fame to manipulate those around her or dances provocatively in front of a mirror, creating more depth. Warren’s script gives Mother more agency than before; she’s more of a well-rounded character with a perspective than simply a means of perpetuating the tension from her distant aloofness.

It’s largely Watts portrayal, Warren’s updates to the original, and Sobel’s elegant, character-focused direction that makes this update work. Less successful are the Crovetti twins Elias and Lukas. The brothers already have a built-in history and connection that makes their bond authentic, but their performances have a sustained flatness. It doesn’t help that observant viewers will connect the clues all too early. This remake still can’t quite bypass the more predictable pitfalls of the original.

Goodnight Mommy may ultimately arrive at the same conclusion, but it takes a very different path getting there. Not likely divergent enough for fans of Franz and Fiala’s 2014 film, but enough to add a new layer to the narrative. This version is far more character focused than the atmospheric original. Prime Video’s remake expands upon the Mother character in a more satisfying way, with a few more details that flesh out this off-kilter family as a whole.

Sobel’s remake and the narrative might better obscure the truth, making those reveals hit harder. A few gruesome horror moments and a captivating performance by Watts also elevate this remake. Goodnight Mommy doesn’t achieve that same high key level of palpable dread as the 2014 version, but it makes for an effective introduction for those unfamiliar with the tale.

Goodnight Mommy debuts globally on Prime Video on September 16, 2022.

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