Welcome to May! Yes, we are already here. Today we focus on moms. Mother’s day is right around the corner and what scarier way to remind our readers of that than to list who we think are the scariest moms in movie herstory! Some of the selections might not meet your personal requirements for scary, but you have to agree that they are all terrifying. Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy what we think are the scariest moms.
10. Mary Lee Johnston – Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire
One of the lesser known horrible moms in cinema history, Mary Lee Johnston (Mo’Nique) constantly physically and emotionally abuses her daughter Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) even after Precious’ past sexual abuse at the hands of her father, and hands off her daughter’s child with Down Syndrome–who she refers to as “Mongo”–to her grandmother so as to use her children to receive welfare. The scariest part? There is no apparent reason or motivation for Mary’s behavior.
9. Jennet Humfrye – The Woman in Black
The titular character in this gothic horror film is definitely underrated in the creep department, as she continues to inflict harm even after her death. When Jennet (Liz White) continues haunting outside the grave, she seeks to avenge her son’s tragic drowning death from years prior by luring children into their own suicide.
8. Joan Crawford – Mommy Dearest
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without Joan Crawford’s (Faye Dunaway) harrowing, maniacal shriek of “NO WIRE HANGERS!” Despite becoming a cult classic and for some reason a favorite amongst drag queens, Mommy Dearest is based on the real-life relationship between actress Joan Crawford and her daughter Christina, who was the recipient of her mother’s alcohol-induced rage and mania.
7. Vera Cosgrove – Dead Alive
Queen Elizabeth Moody stars in one of my personal favorite horror films of all time as the domineering Vera Cosgrove, mother of mama’s boy Lionel (Timothy Balme). Vera is unnerving to begin with, but after a (somewhat) fatal bite from the rare Sumatran Rat Monkey, she transforms into the mother of all zombies and spreads the virus to nearly everyone in her New Zealand town.
6. Norma Bates – Psycho
Okay, before you all crucify me for not making Norma Bates #1 on this list, keep in mind that she is iconic enough to land a spot on this list just for appearing in only one scene. After hearing her son’s disturbing anecdotes about his “best friend,” we finally meet her–just not in the way that we wanted to or expected. This film literally made my grandma too scared to take showers.
5. Alien Queen – Alien
Who said creepy movie moms had to be human? The Alien Queen is already the subject of one of the greatest horror/sci-fi films of all time, and she will stop at nothing to protect her kiddos from badass female protagonist Ellen Ripley. Her appearance is the work of surrealist artist H.R. Giger, and Queen Aliens are much larger and stronger than other adult aliens.
4. Other Mother – Coraline
The only animated mom on this list, Other Mother is pure nightmare fuel for children and adults alike. Coraline (Dakota Fanning) discovers a portal to another dimension with a different version of her parents who give her the attention she craves. Since everyone in this world has buttons for eyes, Other Mother (Terri Hatcher) tries to force Coraline to become one of them by sewing buttons into her eyes. Turns out, she also eats children’s souls. Not exactly maternal material.
3. Pamela Voorhees – Friday the 13th
Though her son Jason is more visually recognizable and makes for great Halloween costume material, Pamela Voorhees (Betsy Palmer) is an even scarier force to be reckoned with after her son drowns at the hands of lazy camp counselors. Like Norma, she doesn’t make an appearance till the end of the film, but the story of her tragic loss and her motherly motivation to exact revenge is iconic and chilling.
2. Margaret White – Carrie
Carrie couldn’t really be a horror film on its own without the role of Margaret White (Piper Laurie), Carrie’s psychotic mother and extreme religious zealot. Her delusion is frustrating and saddening to watch, as she believes the misogynistic and physical abuse of her daughter is all in the name of God, who would probably be pretty pissed had he/she been there.
1. Ruth Chandler – The Girl Next Door
Hate to end this list on such a bummer choice, but it’s our duty to do so in this case. Sisters Meg (Blythe Aufarth) and Susan Loughlin (Madeline Taylor) are sent to live with their reclusive aunt Ruth Chandler (Blanche Baker) and her three sons. What begins as simple misogyny turns into a nightmarish bout of physical torture, sexual abuse, and starvation of these girls with acts that are beyond comprehension, all under the command of Ruth. The twist is a doozy: these events are based off a real case in the 1950s.
What do you think of our list? Who did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!
