Goodnight Mommy (2014)

Twin boys move to a new home with their mother after she has face changing cosmetic surgery, but under her bandages is someone the children don't recognize.

Directors:

Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz

Writers:

Veronika Franz (screenplay), Severin Fiala (screenplay)

Stars:

Lukas Schwarz, Elias Schwarz, Susanne Wuest

21 wins & 36 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lukas Schwarz	...	Lukas
Elias Schwarz	...	Elias
Susanne Wuest	...	Mutter
Hans Escher	...	Priester
Elfriede Schatz	...	Rotkreuz Sammlerin
Karl Purker	...	Rotkreuz Sammler
Georg Deliovsky	...	Pizzalieferant
Christian Steindl	...	Mesner
Christian Schatz	...	Bauer
Erwin Schmalzbauer	...	Akkordeongott

Storyline

In the heat of the summer, a lonesome house in the countryside between woods and corn fields, lives nine-year-old twin brothers who are waiting for their mother. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before. The children start to doubt that this woman is actually their mother. It emerges an existential struggle for identity and fundamental trust.

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Plot Keywords:

cosmetic surgery | torture | mother son conflict | 11 year old | domineering mother | 

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Taglines:

A mother should look out for her sons.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content and some nudity

Details

Country:

Austria

Language:

German

Release Date:

11 September 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Goodnight Mommy

Filming Locations:

Schloßgasse 2 3824, Raabs an der Thaya, Austria

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$57,252, 13 September 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,168,902, 15 November 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ulrich Seidl Film Produktion GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The names of the twin boys (Elias and Lukas) are the same as the names of the actors who played them.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Lukas: What am I doing?
Elias: What's Lukas doing?
Mutter: But I can't see him.

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Crazy Credits

The Stunt Roaches (Stuntschaben) = Matilda and Nermal (Mathilder und Nermal)

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: Goodnight Mommy (2015)

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Soundtracks

Weisst du wieviel Sternlein stehen
Performed by Susanne Wuest, Lukas Schwarz & Elias Schwarz

User Reviews

Slow but creepy

A Austrian psychological drama horror that might not suit everyone just because it is a little bit on the slow side for the first half in particular and is then merely suggestively unsettling than a full on scare.

But the slow build-up kept my interest and it definitely paid off in the end.

I've read here that some people thought it was too predictable, but I must disagree because there were elements to the story that I had to go here to the message-boards to properly understand, and by then it all made sense of course.

It could be because I am currently sick so my brain isn't working properly lol but I really don't think so, and I can usually tell how a horror movie is gonna end half asleep anyway.

So yeah, recommended for patient viewers who's looking for a horror that isn't all about cheap jump scares but more of a psychological one.