Watch Mother's Day
- R
- 1980
- 1 hr 31 min
-
5.3 (6,450)
Mother's Day is a 1980 horror film directed by Charles Kaufman and produced by his brother, Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman. The movie features an all-female cast and revolves around three female friends who decide to get together and reminisce about their childhood. However, their peaceful reunion takes a violent turn when they are kidnapped and tortured by a sadistic family of backwoods maniacs.
The movie opens with a group of young men on a hunting trip in the woods. They encounter a group of women, and one of the men decides to play a prank on them, which leads to a violent confrontation. The women flee into the woods, calling for help, but no one comes to their aid.
The three women at the center of the movie are Abby, Jackie, and Trina, who were childhood friends and have now grown up to be successful women. They decide to get together for a weekend getaway at a remote cabin in the woods. However, their weekend of relaxation is cut short when they are kidnapped by the sadistic members of the family that they encountered in the opening scene.
The family is led by a deranged woman who goes by the name of "Mother." She is played by Beatrice Pons, who delivers a memorable performance as a twisted and sadistic matriarch who commands her sons to carry out horrific acts of violence on their captives. Mother is a terrifying figure who seems to take pleasure in watching her sons torture and kill their victims.
The three women are subjected to a series of gruesome and shocking tortures, including being forced to eat the body of one of the family's previous victims. Each woman is tortured in a unique and disturbing way, and the scenes are graphic and unsettling.
Despite the horrific nature of the movie, there is also a sense of dark humor present throughout. The family members are portrayed as crude, uncivilized, and ignorant, and their interactions with each other are often played for laughs. There are also moments of absurdity, such as when Mother tries to teach her sons how to properly open a bottle of champagne, only to have it explode in her face.
The three actresses at the center of the movie deliver strong performances in their roles. Tiana Pierce plays Abby, the toughest and most resourceful of the three friends. Nancy Hendrickson plays Jackie, the most vulnerable and sensitive of the group. Deborah Luce plays Trina, the most timid and easily frightened of the trio.
One of the strengths of Mother's Day is its willingness to subvert expectations. The movie begins as a typical slasher film, with the women being hunted and terrorized by a group of deranged killers. However, as the movie progresses, it becomes clear that the family is not just a random group of psychopaths, but a dysfunctional and twisted group of relatives that have been traumatized by their abusive mother. The movie also takes unexpected turns, such as when one of the captives forms a bond with one of the family members.
Overall, Mother's Day is a disturbing and often graphic horror movie that is not for the faint of heart. However, it is also a well-crafted and unique take on the slasher genre that features strong performances and a sense of dark humor. While it may not be a movie for everyone, fans of extreme horror will likely find a lot to appreciate in this cult classic.
Mother's Day is a 1980 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.3 and a MetaScore of 1.