From its first frame, You Are Not My Mother offers visceral and unsettling horror. This is also a film rooted in Irish folklore and fears surrounding mental health. Most of all, this is a female-driven story about a mother and daughter whose relationship is anything but stellar.

Writer/director Kate Dolan‘s film stars Hazel Doupe as Char. Life isn’t easy for the teen. She’s bullied at school, and as much as she needs her mom, her mom isn’t there for her. In fact, her only real friend is her art teacher, Ms. Devlin (Jade Jordan). The other girls make fun of Char for her smarts and also because her mom, Angela (Carolyn Bracken)  is a recluse who barely leaves her bedroom and can hardly complete daily routines, including driving her daughter to school. During Halloween time, Angela disappears from the North Dublin housing estate. When she returns, she’s hostile towards other family members.

This film is really carried by the female performances, especially Doupe and Bracken’s. Char especially is a character who deserves our empathy, especially when she’s bullied or left trying to understand her mom’s bizarre behavior and mental health struggles. Kudos to Doupe’s performance here. She strikes the perfect notes, and frankly, you just want to hug her character. Bracken, too, deserves accolades. Her performance includes a range of emotions, and at times, she’s quite terrifying, especially once her character returns and faces off against other family members, especially the grandmother, Rita (Ingrid Craigie). 

In terms of pacing, this one is a slow burn. However, there are enough generally unsettling images, as early as the opening minutes, to keep the horror fan hooked. Some of the tensest moments come when other family members try to limit Angela’s agency, stating that she’s not well enough to do much, including taking a trip with her daughter. The way this film explores family dynamics and mental health resembles aspects of Hereditary, especially the infamous dinner scene, which alone should have earned Toni Collette an Oscar nomination. There’s a similar dynamic here where other family members gang up on the mom because of her mental health challenges. At one point, Rita even blames Angela’s behavior, including a loss of appetite, on her pills.

Overall, You Are Not My Mother is an impressive feature-length debut for Dolan. She managed to get the most out of her female leads and generally crafted a gripping story. This is one harrowing tale, a combination of real human emotions, unsettling imagery, and Irish folklore.

7 Out of 10