[Review] Motherly (2021)

The Horror Collective’s latest home invasion thriller release, Motherly is set to hit VOD this week. Motherly is directed by Craig David Wallace and written by Ian Malone and Craig David Wallace. The film focuses on mother Kate (Lora Burke) and her daughter Beth (Tessa Kozma) who live alone on an isolated farm. Their lives are turned upside down when their home is invaded and Kate's motherly instincts are put to the test. Motherly centres on the life of Kate and Beth with their life on a beautiful farm in an isolated part of the world. When the film starts, they show us several flashbacks that show the previous lives of Kate and Beth. Throughout the film, these flashbacks unravel to show how the events that have affected their lives began and ended.   

Source: Fons PR

Kate appears to be a meek and fragile person who has experienced trauma. We see her retreat to herself and speak to those around her gently and shakily. Witnessing the flashbacks gradually and hearing her speak to Hal, the police officer assigned to protect Kate and Beth, we learn more and more about how Kate and Beth ended up in their current situation. As Beth, Tessa Kozma does a brilliant job of showing an almost teen who is frustrated and bored with living in the middle of nowhere. The two have a tense relationship because Kate had testified against her husband in a murder trial and Beth wants nothing more than to be with her dad. Eventually, the past of their trauma, their publicised murder trial, and those who want revenge catch up with Kate and Beth and not in how Kate expected or planned for. Wallace and Malone had written captivating characters that both actors portray exceptionally. 

The film delivers an impactful story whilst developing intriguing characters. Wallace and Malone hit us with distractions and misdirection, making the audience assume several things about the film and where it is going. At one point, I truly believed that this film was a supernatural meets home invasion film! The misdirection adds suspense and an eerie atmosphere as you try to work out the twist. Every conversation, camera shot, and character is incredibly important and designed with a quintessential purpose which contributes beautifully to the overall arc of the story.

Source: Fons PR

The isolation of the family really ups the ante when Kate and Beth are ambushed in their home, Kate’s ability to protect her daughter shines most in this part onwards. I certainly didn’t question the lengths she would go to to protect Beth. Although I do question why she would go to those lengths. One thing I really enjoy about horror films are ones that happen over a small period of time. Motherly does an enjoyable job of maintaining the intensity of their evening through a small timeline. I will always contend that it takes skill to be able to maintain a brilliant and interesting storyline in a short amount of time. 

Whilst the film is slightly predictable, Motherly remained engaging through its deep character-driven story arc that was interesting and surprising when the twist is revealed. Wallace and Malone have written an unnerving story that tells the lengths that mothers will truly go to protect their children even if it might risk everything they have tried to prevent from happening. It’s great to see a story that steps away from topics that would otherwise be considered sensitive or borderline taboo. 

Motherly is now available Digitally and On Demand!


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[Review] Shudder’s The Advent Calendar (2021): A Candy-Coated Trinity of Blood, Guts, and Ableism

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[Review] The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales by Eric LaRocca