Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala’s “Goodnight Mommy”

Goodnight Mommy (Ich seh, Ich seh) (2014)

Effective though disturbing horror fairytale with echoes of Takashi Miike, Michael Haneke and Yorgos Lanthimos simmers slowly until boiling over in its final horrific act

Opening to an idyllic childhood vista in an isolated lakeside home nestled among forests and farms, we meet Elias and Lukas (Elias and Lukas Schwarz), ten year old twins eagerly awaiting the return of their mother who is undergoing facial surgery. On being reunited, the boys suspect that it may not be their mother under the bandages. This leads into a narrative that is constantly uncomfortable, shifting under our feet and oozing menace that builds skillfully to its conclusion.

An English remake was released in 2022 with Naomi Watts by Matt Sobel but I can’t quite imagine that film being able to better than what we get here. The craftsmanship of the film is fantastic with echoes of Takashi Miike, Michael Haneke and Yorgos Lanthimos in its DNA. If you’re not familiar with those directors, that’s my subtle warning that this film is not an easy watch. Having seen a lot of horror and horrific scenes in films, this is up there with the most intense and disturbing I’ve experienced principally because it’s not garish but grounded in such a way as to really get under the skin.

I enjoyed this more for the craftsmanship but the pulp horror story is quite good if devoid of anything meaningful to say and that’s fine but if this is purely entertainment, it sits uncomfortably under that label. Also, as I always recommend, don’t watch the trailer and jump in blind if you’re in the mood for some challenging horror.