The horror genre can be a double-edged sword at times. With so many sub-genres to choose from, it can be difficult to avoid the cliches that run rampant through them all.
You Are Not My Mother tackles the topics of folklore horror and familiar domestic settings, combining them into something ominous and enjoyable. It is even more impressive that this is the director’s feature debut.
Teenager Char (Hazel Doupe) struggles in high school, something not unfamiliar to many teenagers. Bullies, no friends, it’s a poor atmosphere, and, to make it worse, her home life is not much better. Her mother Angela (Carolyn Bracken) struggles to conquer her depression, making simple tasks like driving Char to school and buying groceries hard, not wanting to leave her bed.
One day, Angela’s car is abandoned, and she is nowhere to be found, leading people, especially Char, to suspect the worst. She returns home safe and sound, with no explanations, and after a brief time of things looking up, Angela’s behavior becomes erratic and bizarre. Things quickly turn from puzzling to dangerous.
Irish writer/director Kate Dolan impressively weaves both the story and the camera. The physical changes in Angela are well done, and while what is happening is clear, Dolan avoids the easy cliches and stays the course. Using the house to her advantage, Dolan makes everyday areas seem bleak and eerie.
Bathrooms are dark, bedrooms seem more like cages than places of rest and relaxation, and the whole house is lit in a way that feels forbidding and full of dread. Throw in the backdrop of mental illness, teenager angst, and long-buried family secrets. You have a compelling story that is somber and creepy.
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Doupe and Bracken are convincing as mother and daughter, with the tension of raising a teenage daughter and life as a single parent. Bracken does a lot with simple facial expressions that help plant seeds of doubt in both her daughter and the audience. Dolan uses this well, but not to the point where it takes over the story, but instead adds another layer of tension to an already strained situation. As the film progresses and Angela worsens, Dolan stays true to her vision and keeps everything running smoothly, building some beautiful dread and intensity right to the end.
You Are Not My Mother is an exceptional directorial feature debut for Kate Dolan. The believable mother-daughter performances by Bracken and Doupe and disturbing atmosphere make for a truly solid film. This is a great example of how sometimes the simplest, most everyday things can become effective tools in the hands of someone who has a vision and is not afraid to see it through.
You Are Not My Mother had its premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.
