Two twin brothers are bothered by the apparent changes in their mother in Goodnight Mommy. Elias and Lukas (Elias and Lukas Schwarz) live on their own with their mother (Susanne Wuest). When she comes home heavily bandaged after an operation, the two brothers notice that the behaviour of their mother isn't like it once was, particularly in how she is much more short tempered towards Elias. The boys becomes convinced that this woman is not their real mother and decides to take things into their own hands.
Goodnight Mommy is a slow burning thriller about these two twin brothers, who have become convinced that their mother has been replaced by an impostor. This is completely understandable, since their mother's heavily bandaged up appearance does make her look quite monstrous. However, there seems to be a piece of the puzzle that isn't immediately apparent, which might help to explain the mother's sudden change in behaviour and why she is seeming turning the two brothers against each other.
There is quite a slow build to Goodnight Mommy and most of the film can be best described as more a drama about these two brothers' relationship with their mother. However, the film takes quite a bit of a disturbing turn in the third act, which reveals what exactly these boys are capable of, when they become absolutely convinced that their mother is an impostor. For a film named Goodnight Mommy, it can be surmised that things probably don't end well. Altogether, this film is a quite well done thriller about the complicated relationship between these two bothers and their mother.
★ ★ ★ ★ | LIKED IT
