Rob Savages supernatural horror Other Mommy is a jump-scare-happy horror flick that plays out as expected, with half-baked lore and a tonal identity crisis. But to be fair, this movie certainly has its moments. Yep, there are a handful of genuinely creepy scenes here that provide plenty of fuel for potential nightmares. You see, this entity specializes in mimicking the loved ones of an eight-year-old girl, hoping to manipulate her into letting it into her heart (whatever that actually means). But what makes this thing so unsettling is that it doesn’t always get the details right. There’s a moment when it has too many fingers, and another where its neck unnaturally stretches and shifts. It’s the kind of uncanny body horror that gets under your skin. And when the movie taps into that discomfort, it really works. And yes, there are plenty of effective jump scares along the way. If only the rest of the film were as effective. Unfortunately, Other Mommy is a rather vapid affair that never quite figures out what kind of horror movie it wants to be. There’s certainly something to be said about childhood innocence - and the loss of it. The film also attempts to explore the unspoken pressures of motherhood and the strains of domestic life. Those are all potentially rich themes, but they’re handled in such a clunky, heavy-handed manner that they never really land. Everything moves so fast and loose that it’s difficult to take much of the drama seriously. One minute, we’re dealing with genuinely terrifying developments, the next, we’re abruptly whisked away to a lighthearted stretch of the characters’ journey. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a horror movie embracing a little camp, but you have to commit. And then there’s the mythology behind this creepy entity. Without getting into spoilers, let’s just say the concept feels like a sketch of a sketch of an idea. There’s a potentially disturbing premise buried in here, but the film never develops it into anything particularly compelling (or coherent for that matter). Thankfully, Jessica Chastain came to PLAY. Taking on a dual role, the Oscar-winning actress throws herself into the material with the kind of full-throttle commitment it all demands. Honestly, she’s one of the biggest reasons to stick around. It’s just a shame that all that talent and commitment are in service of such an undercooked script. With stronger writing, a more consistent tone, and a mythology that actually goes somewhere, Other Mommy could have been a much more effective nightmare. Instead, we’re left with a few solid scares and a whole lot of missed potential. If only Chastain had been given another script to work with — maybe an Other Movie?