An effective horror story about a woman transformed in more ways than one after she undergoes facial surgery
Hats off to Austria for selecting this increasingly alarming chiller from writer/directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (respectively the partner and nephew of film-maker Ulrich Seidl, who produces) as its foreign language entry for the 88th Academy Awards. Opening with an image of Von Trapp family harmony, Goodnight Mommy finds twin boys (Lukas and Elias Schwarz, both brilliant) playing hide-and-seek in the trees and cornfields around a remote modernist house. When their mother (Susanne Wuest) returns from facial surgery, her bandaged visage hides a changed personality. How do they know it’s really her? Suspicion turns to hostility and worse; by the third act, you’ll be hiding your face in wincing terror.
Comparisons with Michael Haneke’s Funny Games and George Franju’s Eyes Without a Face seem inevitable, but...
Hats off to Austria for selecting this increasingly alarming chiller from writer/directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (respectively the partner and nephew of film-maker Ulrich Seidl, who produces) as its foreign language entry for the 88th Academy Awards. Opening with an image of Von Trapp family harmony, Goodnight Mommy finds twin boys (Lukas and Elias Schwarz, both brilliant) playing hide-and-seek in the trees and cornfields around a remote modernist house. When their mother (Susanne Wuest) returns from facial surgery, her bandaged visage hides a changed personality. How do they know it’s really her? Suspicion turns to hostility and worse; by the third act, you’ll be hiding your face in wincing terror.
Comparisons with Michael Haneke’s Funny Games and George Franju’s Eyes Without a Face seem inevitable, but...
- 3/6/2016
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
An idyllic summer at a lakeside house turns nasty horror for two brothers in this gruesome debut from Austrian film-maker Veronika Franz
This icy Euro-arthouse horror from Austrian film-maker Veronika Franz has an American-style title, like Michael Haneke’s Funny Games. The original is Ich Seh Ich Seh, or I See I See, which better captures its theme of twins. Franz makes her debut, co-directing with Severin Fala; she is married to the film’s producer, the renowned and terrifying director Ulrich Seidl, known for his own type of extreme ordeal cinema. This movie had its premiere at last year’s Venice film festival, where I first saw it, and now arrives in the UK, where audiences may want to compare it to early Michael Haneke and Jessica Hausner. The twist ending is worthy of a Hollywood director who can’t be named without giving it away. Elias (Elias Schwarz...
This icy Euro-arthouse horror from Austrian film-maker Veronika Franz has an American-style title, like Michael Haneke’s Funny Games. The original is Ich Seh Ich Seh, or I See I See, which better captures its theme of twins. Franz makes her debut, co-directing with Severin Fala; she is married to the film’s producer, the renowned and terrifying director Ulrich Seidl, known for his own type of extreme ordeal cinema. This movie had its premiere at last year’s Venice film festival, where I first saw it, and now arrives in the UK, where audiences may want to compare it to early Michael Haneke and Jessica Hausner. The twist ending is worthy of a Hollywood director who can’t be named without giving it away. Elias (Elias Schwarz...
- 3/3/2016
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
2015 was, without a doubt, another excellent year for the horror genre. Summing up what I thoroughly enjoyed in the past year was a daunting task, simply because there were so many rad movies, TV shows, toys, games, podcasts, and more to choose from. Here are my favorites of 2015:
The Gift: If there was ever a PSA for being kind to everyone you meet, The Gift would be it. All of the acting in this film is extremely solid, but Joel Edgerton (who also directed the film) as Gordo is the one to watch. I instantly gravitated to his character in particular, whose back story hit close to home for me. It would have been easy to go in a campy direction with a character like Gordo, but Edgerton brings a level of gravitas to this immensely sad individual. I saw the film at the cinema months ago, and...
The Gift: If there was ever a PSA for being kind to everyone you meet, The Gift would be it. All of the acting in this film is extremely solid, but Joel Edgerton (who also directed the film) as Gordo is the one to watch. I instantly gravitated to his character in particular, whose back story hit close to home for me. It would have been easy to go in a campy direction with a character like Gordo, but Edgerton brings a level of gravitas to this immensely sad individual. I saw the film at the cinema months ago, and...
- 1/3/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Goodnight Mommy Ich seh, Ich seh The Weinstein Company Reviewed by: Harvey Karten for Shockya. Databased on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: C+ Director: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala Written by: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala Cast: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 11/19/15 Opens: September 11, 2015 If you’re just starting out in your married life and you think of having kids (as most couples do), you may be concerned about the cost of bringing one up from prenatal expenses to those of a living creation to age 21 and, nowadays, beyond. But money isn’t everything. Remember the old saw about how a young person killed his parents [ Read More ]
The post Goodnight Mommy Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Goodnight Mommy Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/4/2015
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods 90 Minutes in Heaven (drama; Hayden Christensen, Kate Bosworth; rated PG-13) Amy (music documentary; Amy Winehouse; rated R) Brand: A Second Coming (documentary; Russell Brand; rated R) Goodnight Mommy (horror-thriller; Susanne Wuest, Lukas Schwarz, Elias Schwarz; rated R) Roger Waters The Wall (music; Roger Waters, Dave Kilminster; rated R) Christmas Eve (comedy-romance; Jon Heder, Patrick Stewart; premieres 12/4 on...
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- 12/2/2015
- by Robert B. DeSalvo
- Movies.com
*full disclosure: a Blu-ray screener of this film was provided by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Directors/writers: Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz. Cast: Susanne Wuest, Lukas Schwarz and Elias Schwarz. The Austrian title, Ich Seh, Ich Seh, is a lot more appropriate than the North American one, Goodnight Mommy. The original title is translated to I Say, I Say. This original title gives a hint as to the film's central mystery and to the protagonist's inner conflict. Goodnight Mommy is a lot less intriguing. As it is, Goodnight Mommy is still an unsettling thriller. Unfortunately, the pacing of the film is slowed down by a number of distracting scenes. Focusing on an experiential narrative, the film's conflict is driven onwards by Elias' (Elias Schwarz) inner delusions, which only worsen as time wears on. Goodnight Mommy is a very disturbing thriller, that should not be missed. The film's story begins after a tragedy.
- 11/29/2015
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Goodnight, mommy? Possible Oscar contender, Goodnight Mommy, will arrive on Blu-ray / DVD on December 1st. Also: theatrical release information for The Funhouse Massacre, a look at Live-Evil photos, and Happy Halloween with Dr. Gangrene videos.
Goodnight Mommy: Press Release: "Beverly Hills, Calif. – October 13, 2015 – “Unsettling.” “Terrifying.” “Sinister.” The most talked about movie of summer and one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year, Goodnight Mommy arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD December 1st from Anchor Bay Entertainment and RADiUS. The “masterful and artfully unsettling” film, which is generating strong Oscar® buzz as Austria’s official 2016 entry for Best Foreign Language Film, is written and directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, and stars Susanne Wuest (Antares, Judas Goat, Thank You Mr. President), and brothers Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz in their feature film debut.
A worldwide festival favorite, Goodnight Mommy made audiences squirm at the Venice Film Festival, AFI Fest,...
Goodnight Mommy: Press Release: "Beverly Hills, Calif. – October 13, 2015 – “Unsettling.” “Terrifying.” “Sinister.” The most talked about movie of summer and one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year, Goodnight Mommy arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD December 1st from Anchor Bay Entertainment and RADiUS. The “masterful and artfully unsettling” film, which is generating strong Oscar® buzz as Austria’s official 2016 entry for Best Foreign Language Film, is written and directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, and stars Susanne Wuest (Antares, Judas Goat, Thank You Mr. President), and brothers Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz in their feature film debut.
A worldwide festival favorite, Goodnight Mommy made audiences squirm at the Venice Film Festival, AFI Fest,...
- 10/14/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
It’s hard to discuss what truly makes Goodnight Mommy such a powerhouse cinematic experience without revealing some of the ingenious twists to it; suffice to say, very rarely does a film come along that leaves my proverbial jaw on the floor, but such is the case with this Austrian thriller from directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, who have crafted a film that’s thoughtful, intense and wrought with emotion and palpable tension throughout. Without a doubt, Goodnight Mommy is truly one of the best pure horror films of 2015.
Goodnight Mommy follows twin brothers Lukas and Elias (played by Lukas and Elias Schwarz) as they eagerly await the return of their mother (Susanne Wuest), who has been undergoing radical cosmetic surgery. When she returns, her face is completely bandaged and her disposition is chilly and confrontational with her children. Suspecting that the woman in their home is not their mother,...
Goodnight Mommy follows twin brothers Lukas and Elias (played by Lukas and Elias Schwarz) as they eagerly await the return of their mother (Susanne Wuest), who has been undergoing radical cosmetic surgery. When she returns, her face is completely bandaged and her disposition is chilly and confrontational with her children. Suspecting that the woman in their home is not their mother,...
- 9/15/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
To any hopeful parents who are planning on starting a family sooner than later, here’s my warning – don’t watch Goodnight Mommy. Not yet, at least.
There’s something so inherently unnerving about a horror movie that relies heavily on children, because kids are supposed to be full of innocence and wonder – the perfect guise for pure, seething evil. When you see a child, happy thoughts of doing no wrong immediately pop into your head. We wouldn’t dare imagine children doing the unspeakable, right? Children Can’T be evil, because we’ve Convinced ourselves they can’t be.
So what if children Can be evil? Or worse, what if they don’t actually know the moral implications of actions that are simply a result of their blurry, juvenile fantasies?
Goodnight Mommy is no Pet Sematary or Who Can Kill A Child?, where children are turned into bloodthirsty murderers who kill without remorse,...
There’s something so inherently unnerving about a horror movie that relies heavily on children, because kids are supposed to be full of innocence and wonder – the perfect guise for pure, seething evil. When you see a child, happy thoughts of doing no wrong immediately pop into your head. We wouldn’t dare imagine children doing the unspeakable, right? Children Can’T be evil, because we’ve Convinced ourselves they can’t be.
So what if children Can be evil? Or worse, what if they don’t actually know the moral implications of actions that are simply a result of their blurry, juvenile fantasies?
Goodnight Mommy is no Pet Sematary or Who Can Kill A Child?, where children are turned into bloodthirsty murderers who kill without remorse,...
- 9/8/2015
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Horror genre fans have learned, over the years, to keep an eye on the festival circuit for exciting new releases, with Adam Wingard’s 2013 feature You’re Next and David Robert Mitchell’s 2015 film It Follows standing as two of the more recent examples of films that started generating buzz from audience appreciation at film festivals. The upcoming Austrian horror film Goodnight Mommy is poised to be the next in that trend, having played last year at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, and this year at the Seattle International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary, and the Fantasia Film Festival. Also called Ich Seh, Ich Seh, the film’s synopsis is as follows.
In the heat of the summer. A lonesome house in the countryside between woods and corn fields. Nine-year-old twin brothers are waiting for their mother. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before. The...
In the heat of the summer. A lonesome house in the countryside between woods and corn fields. Nine-year-old twin brothers are waiting for their mother. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before. The...
- 8/3/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
"She's so different." Radius-twc has debuted the official Us trailer for Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz's Goodnight Mommy, a psychological horror thriller from Austria about a mom and her two insane sons. It's another story about how bad kids can be, but this one is a bit more twisted, involving some really freaky happenings in their nice countryside home. Austrian actress Susanne Wuest plays "Die Mutter", or The Mother, with Elias Schwarz & Lukas Schwarz as the boys. I saw this film as part of New Directors/New Films in NYC, and it's solid and thrilling, but it honestly didn't scare me. Maybe that's just me. Take a look. Here's the official trailer for Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz's Goodnight Mommy, found on YouTube: In the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine year old twin brothers await their mother’s return. When she comes home,...
- 7/31/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Read More: New Directors/New Films: 'Goodnight Mommy' Is an Arthouse Shocker Best Seen Cold Masks, twins, forestry and bugs have all been in horror films before, but that doesn't mean they'll ever get old. Written and directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, "Goodnight Mommy" uses all of those tropes to great use, making for one unnerving horror film. Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz star. The official synopsis reads: "In the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine year old twin brothers await their mother's return. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before and the children start to doubt whether this woman is actually who she says she is. What ensues is a terrifying struggle with fatal consequences on par with 'The Shining' and 'Dead Ringers.'" "Goodnight Mommy" will be released on September 11. Check...
- 7/30/2015
- by Ethan Sapienza
- Indiewire
Earlier this week, we gave you details on first wave of special experiences and events taking place at the 2015 Stanley Film Festival. We now have details on their impressive slate of features, short films, and additional special events, including screenings of The Final Girls, Deathgasm, Stung, The Invitation, and We Are Still Here.
We're teaming up with the festival for live coverage and special opportunities for Daily Dead readers, so be sure to check back all month for contests, features, and more.
"April 2, 2014 (Denver, Co) - The Stanley Film Festival (Sff) produced by the Denver Film Society (Dfs) and presented by Chiller, announced today its Closing Night film, Festival lineup and the 2015 Master of Horror. The Festival will close out with The Final Girls. The film, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, is the story of a young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s,...
We're teaming up with the festival for live coverage and special opportunities for Daily Dead readers, so be sure to check back all month for contests, features, and more.
"April 2, 2014 (Denver, Co) - The Stanley Film Festival (Sff) produced by the Denver Film Society (Dfs) and presented by Chiller, announced today its Closing Night film, Festival lineup and the 2015 Master of Horror. The Festival will close out with The Final Girls. The film, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, is the story of a young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s,...
- 4/2/2015
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Goodnight Mommy directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz on Ulrich Seidl and Michael Haneke: "It seems to be true because many artists reflect that kind of atmosphere." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's Goodnight Mommy starring Lukas Schwarz, Elias Schwarz and Susanne Wuest, produced by Ulrich Seidl is the corner of your mind where Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Georges Franju, Damien Hirst and Michael Haneke meet in Nobuhiko Obayashi's House (Hausu) and invite Gregor Samsa to converge with the von Trapp family.
After a short prelude in the form of a clip from an Austrian version of the Sound Of Music story, starring Ruth Leuwerik, we settle into the country house of a woman (Wuest) who has just undergone extensive facial surgery. Her twin sons, Lukas and Elias, are seen spending the time on the grounds around the isolated house.
Hello Mommy Susanne Wuest:...
Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's Goodnight Mommy starring Lukas Schwarz, Elias Schwarz and Susanne Wuest, produced by Ulrich Seidl is the corner of your mind where Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Georges Franju, Damien Hirst and Michael Haneke meet in Nobuhiko Obayashi's House (Hausu) and invite Gregor Samsa to converge with the von Trapp family.
After a short prelude in the form of a clip from an Austrian version of the Sound Of Music story, starring Ruth Leuwerik, we settle into the country house of a woman (Wuest) who has just undergone extensive facial surgery. Her twin sons, Lukas and Elias, are seen spending the time on the grounds around the isolated house.
Hello Mommy Susanne Wuest:...
- 3/31/2015
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
This November, over 100 films will be screening at AFI Fest 2014 in Los Angeles and more than a few of those flicks will be of the horror variety. Attendees hungry for vampire humor, coming-of-age terror, and frights that hit close to home should be happy to hear that What We Do in the Shadows, It Follows, and Goodnight Mommy are a few of the horror movies screening at the festival.
AFI Fest 2014 runs from November 6th – 13th in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit:
http://www.afi.com/afifest/default.aspx
These are a handful of the horror films playing at the festival:
“Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh Ich Seh) – Twin boys fear that their mother, whose face is masked with bandages after plastic surgery, has been subsumed by an evil being. Written and directed by aunt-nephew filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Cast: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lucas Schwarz. Austria.
From...
AFI Fest 2014 runs from November 6th – 13th in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit:
http://www.afi.com/afifest/default.aspx
These are a handful of the horror films playing at the festival:
“Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh Ich Seh) – Twin boys fear that their mother, whose face is masked with bandages after plastic surgery, has been subsumed by an evil being. Written and directed by aunt-nephew filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Cast: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lucas Schwarz. Austria.
From...
- 10/30/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
More distribution news has come in for one of the films playing as part of the Vanguard Lineup at the Toronto International Film Festival. THR reports that following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Radius has picked up North American rights to the horror thriller Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh Ich Seh).
Directed by Austrian filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, the creepy movie takes place in an isolated home and centers on a pair of twins whose mother returns home from the hospital. But with a bandaged-up face and off-kilter behavior, the twins begin to think that perhaps this isn’t their mother after all.
Real-life twins Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz star. Radius plans a 2015 release.
Synopsis
10-year-old twins wait for their mother. When she returns with her head wrapped in bandages after surgery, nothing is as it was before. Stern and distant now, she shuts the family off from the outside world.
Directed by Austrian filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, the creepy movie takes place in an isolated home and centers on a pair of twins whose mother returns home from the hospital. But with a bandaged-up face and off-kilter behavior, the twins begin to think that perhaps this isn’t their mother after all.
Real-life twins Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz star. Radius plans a 2015 release.
Synopsis
10-year-old twins wait for their mother. When she returns with her head wrapped in bandages after surgery, nothing is as it was before. Stern and distant now, she shuts the family off from the outside world.
- 9/8/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Radius has picked up the North American rights to Goodnight Mommy, a horror thriller that premiered at the Venice Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Austrian directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala helmed the creepy movie, which takes place in an isolated home and centers on a pair of twins whose mother returns home from the hospital. But with a bandaged-up face and off-kilter behavior, the twins begin to think that perhaps this isn’t their mother after all. Real-life twins Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz star as does Susanne Wuest. The movie’s German-language title is
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- 9/8/2014
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: RADiUS has picked up North American rights from Films Distribution to the recent Orrizonti premiere.
Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala directed the Austrian horror about a mother of twins who returns home covered in bandages following cosmetic surgery.
Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz star. Franz’s husband Ulrich Seidl produced.
The distributor plans to release Goodnight Mommy (Austrian title Ich Seh Ich Seh) in 2015.
RADiUS, Films Distribution and The Weinstein Company, who first saw the film in Venice, negotiated the deal.
Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala directed the Austrian horror about a mother of twins who returns home covered in bandages following cosmetic surgery.
Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz and Lukas Schwarz star. Franz’s husband Ulrich Seidl produced.
The distributor plans to release Goodnight Mommy (Austrian title Ich Seh Ich Seh) in 2015.
RADiUS, Films Distribution and The Weinstein Company, who first saw the film in Venice, negotiated the deal.
- 9/8/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 71st Venice Film Festival announced its lineup this morning, highlighted by films from American directors, including David Gordon Green, Barry Levinson, Peter Bogdanovich, Lisa Cholodenko, Andrew Niccol, and James Franco. As had been previously announced, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, starring Michael Keaton and many others, will be the opening film when the festival begins on Aug. 27.
Click below for the entire list of 55 films playing in Venice.
Competition
The Cut, directed by Fatih Akin
Starring Tahar Rahim, Akin Gazi, Simon Abkarian, George Georgiou
A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence, directed by Roy Andersson
Starring Holger Andersson,...
Click below for the entire list of 55 films playing in Venice.
Competition
The Cut, directed by Fatih Akin
Starring Tahar Rahim, Akin Gazi, Simon Abkarian, George Georgiou
A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence, directed by Roy Andersson
Starring Holger Andersson,...
- 7/24/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
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