Release Date: 19 Jan 2018
Run Time: 83 minutes
Origin: UK / USA
Mimi's Rating: 3 1/2 meat mallets out of 5
"It's a Sawzall. That means it saws ALL!"
Mom and Dad follows the Ryan family, who have relatable relationship problems. Brent (Nic Cage) is a mid-life crisis Dad who yearns for his past glory days. Kendall (Selma Blair) is a mother who has lost herself in motherhood and struggles with her daughter Carly (Anne Winters) pulling away and not depending on her anymore. Carly only wants to spend time with her boyfriend, Damon (Robert T. Cunningham), and their youngest child, Joshua (Zackary Arthur), desires his father's love and approval.
So when a mysterious static signal begins to turn parents into filicidal zombies, family bonds are tested when children have to play a dangerous game of hide and seek with their bloodthirsty parents.
Casting Nicolas Cage as the angry mid-life crisis dad was a genius decision. There are scenes where he is so menacing that it will remind you of being a child and having an adult show that kind of anger toward you. It's an almost primal fear and a reminder that, yes, your parents could have killed you if they felt so inclined. The pool table scene with Brent and Kendall was one of the movie's standout scenes and is also a classic Nic Cage freakout. I appreciated that the film took the time to humanize the parents and allowed Cage to go 100% wild.
"I remember the kid I used to be like it was four fucking minutes ago! My feet barely touched the ground back then! My kill ratio was 9/10, it was 100% sex! But that guy, in a million years could never have pictured this tired motherfucker he turned out to be! Flat on his ass, fat, bald, cottage cheese fucking ass, Blue Bonnet butter waistline with hair coming out of my ears and nose, my salary went from $145,000 to $45,000! Yeah, building a fucking man cave, that's right, you're right!"
Selma Blair gives a sympathetic performance as a mom who feels underappreciated and struggles with her lack of identity outside motherhood; a particularly effective monologue later in the film touches on these themes. When the parents are beginning to bond over trying to kill their kids, she gets a chance to flex her comedic talents as well. Blair is excellent opposite Cage, showcases her range as an actress, and adds some fun to the tense cat-and-mouse chase.
The two children, played by Anne Winters and Zackary Arthur, also did a great job in their roles and had good chemistry and brother and sister. The Home Alone-esque tricks they use later on the parents was a good gag.
Mom and Dad also has a sprinkle of social satire just for good measure. The parents vs. children conflict taken to the extreme is an excellent metaphor for older generations' causing harm to the next (whether intentional or not) and even the general attitude of "back in my day...". This generational clash has always existed, and here it is taken to its comedic extreme, most notable when Brent's parents show up at the house to kill their son, and grandpa Mel (played by the always fantastic Lance Henriksen) exclaims, "I fought in wars! What did you do?"
"Awesome, you and Grandma passive aggressively bitching at each other, and Grandpa telling his disgusting Vietnam stories. 'Pulled it out and killed the Charlie bastard with his own pigsticker!'"
Hitting the sweet spot between horror and social satire, Mom and Dad also maintains a unique style (its intro is a good example). I thought it was an excellent choice to contain the latter half of the movie's action in the family home instead of making the film more of an 'end of the world' type affair. This allowed the movie to focus on the character's relationships and showcase the great performances delivered by the entire cast. It also makes the film feel more grounded and relatable to the audience.
So, if you're looking for an original take on the zombie genre, Mom and Dad might be what you're looking for.
Bonus: John Waters ranked this the fourth-best film of 2018.
Why you should watch:
It's a fun and unique take on a zombie film.
Nic Cage smashes a pool table while singing the hokey pokey.
Great performances throughout.
Why you shouldn't watch:
You don't want to see children (including infants) in peril.
Some may feel that the movie plays it too safe with its depictions of violence.