It's been a rough couple of weeks for Jessica Chastain's latest horror outing. Other Mommy, directed by Rob Savage, is being pulled from nearly 580 theaters nationwide as its box office run hits a serious speed bump. The film, which opened to surprisingly strong numbers, has now seen its theatrical footprint shrink dramatically after a brutal second weekend.
According to box office reports, Other Mommy will lose 579 screens in its third week of release. That's a significant cut for a movie that initially debuted in over 3,300 theaters. The film grossed about $28 million in its opening frame, but then plummeted by 70% in its sophomore weekend, bringing in just $8 million and pushing its domestic total to around $45 million. Globally, it's hovering near the $80 million mark, which is almost identical to what Savage's previous Stephen King adaptation, The Boogeyman, earned during its entire run.
For Chastain, this is a far cry from her earlier horror success. Her 2013 film Mama grossed nearly $150 million worldwide, and she earned an Oscar nomination the same year for Zero Dark Thirty. Both of those films were far better received by critics than Other Mommy, which currently sits at a dismal 19% on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus there reads, "Despite a valiant turn from Jessica Chastain as the spectral embodiment of a smothering parent, Other Mommy proves too silly for its intermittently effective jump scares to add up to a spooky whole."
Collider's own Gabrielle Moss was even harsher in her review, writing, "Other Mommy's attempts at both basic scares and big ideas fall flat, leaving you with only one question to keep you occupied throughout its 93-minute runtime: how did an actress this good end up in a movie this bad?"
The film's rapid decline is reminiscent of other recent horror releases that couldn't sustain their opening momentum. Just last month, another horror title lost nearly 600 theaters ahead of its streaming debut, and the latest Resident Evil saw a similar fate as its run wound down. It's a pattern that's becoming all too familiar in the genre.
Despite the critical drubbing, Other Mommy is still expected to cross the $100 million mark globally before all is said and done. That would make it a modest financial success, even if it's a creative misfire. For Savage, who previously impressed with The Boogeyman—a film that was originally destined for streaming before positive test screenings earned it a theatrical release—this is a step back. But with a track record like his, it's likely he'll bounce back.
For Chastain, the actress has proven time and again that she can elevate even the most questionable material. Her performance in Other Mommy has been singled out as the film's one saving grace, but even her considerable talent couldn't save it from the critics' wrath. As the film fades from theaters, audiences will soon have the chance to judge for themselves when it hits streaming platforms. Until then, the box office numbers tell a story of a movie that promised scares but delivered mostly groans.
Stay tuned for more updates on Other Mommy's theatrical run and its eventual home entertainment release.
