Mom And Dad

Parents!

We all have parents in our lives. You either love them or hate them, but they will always be your parents. A lot of parents are really good, they will do anything for their children. But there are also parents who don´t care about their children. Unfortunately, this can cause problems in society. These children can be damaged for life, unless they get the love and support they need. This is why it is very important to remember parents out there, always make sure that your children have your support. Now, when it comes to films that works as a black comedy about parenthood, i have to mention a 90´s classic by legendary director John Waters. His film Serial Mom with actor Kathleen Turner from 1994, is a really good choice if you want to see how a mother takes care of business. Katheeln Turner as a serial killer mother, is a really funny satire on the perfect family image. The film was a box office bomb, but became a cult movie and respected through many movie fans. I personally think that Serial Mom manage to show us 2 very different sides very effective. You have the ordinary American family, and they you have the psycho mother ready to kill anyone who goes in her way. I suggest you pick up the film on dvd or blu ray, it is worth a watch. Speaking of parents in films, how many of you have seen the British horror film Mum & Dad from the year 2008 ? A very disturbing horror film, about two parents who takes hostages, prepared to kill if they need to. A small film that not many people noticed, but i have to say that as a horror film, the concept worked. The film directed by Steve Shell, clearly showed you how disturbing some families can be. I suggest you pick up the dvd from the UK, this is a movie for horror fans. In the autumn of 2017, i was reading about upcoming films in 2018, and came across a title of Mom And Dad. The first thing i noticed was the cast, legendary actor Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair, in a film that seemed to look very different from their previous films. 2 parents gone insane, who have for some reason decided to kill their own children. The trailer looked insane, so of course i had to take the chance and see the film on VOD. With a great cast, and with a plot that looks insane, is Mom And Dad the perfect family movie of this year, or is this another stinker from the catalogue of Nicolas Cage ?

The Ryans Family looks just like the ordinary American family. Brent Ryan ( Nicolas Cage ) is a family man, who is especially not happy about his daughter Carly Ryans ( Anne Waters ) new boyfriend Damon ( Robert T. Cunningham ). Carly is struggling with her teen years, and she is very annoyed with family life. Mother Kendal Ryan ( Selma Blair ) does not seem to connecting with her daughter, as they used to do. Carly´s little brother Josh Ryan ( Zackary Arthur ) loves to make his older sister Carly pissed off. One day at school, Carly notice that parents to students are standing outside, for no reason at all. Until it seems that every parent, is out to kill their own children. No one knows why, or how this all started. But it becomes very clear, Carly and her little brother Josh needs to run, their parents are also out there to take care of their children.

If you are a fan of Nicolas Cage, i do belive you will want to see Nicolas Cage go completely nuts as Brent Ryan in this film. Because he really does, and i can´t remember the last time i have seen him this crazy. And for me personally, Nicolas is one of the reasons why you watch Mom And Dad. His screen presence makes a big difference to this story. But there is more to enjoy here of course. Selma Blair is also good as Kendall Ryan. I can´t say i have ever seen her do a character like this one, and that is why it becomes more fun to watch. Really nice to see legendary actor Lance Henriksen in here as well. He does not have a lot of screen time unfortunately, but still nice to see him on screen as the crazy grandfather. Also a cameo of Dr. Oz as well, the doctor who have worked to help actor Corey Feldman on child abuse. The character Carly Ryan, played by actor Anne Winters, give us the innocent looking teen with a lot of anger. She also does her performance well. The film clearly makes a message, that when we get older, life changes. And there is a scene when Nicolas Cage destroy a pool table, frustrated that life did not go the way he thought it would. He thinks back to his youth, and remember the good days. So this could also trigger, the insane decisions they are about to make, attacking their own children. The idea of all parents want to kill their children, is a really disturbing idea. The film does give you a feeling that all parents have been infected, by something. Why else would they run around after their kids, trying to kill them ? Mom And Dad is a very strange mix of horror and comedy, and with a story that seems to be ordinary, but change completely after a while. This is the kind of film that some people will hate, and call this one of the worst films they have seen. My view on this film, is that it does have entertainment value, if you appreciate dark comedy mixed with disturbing scenes. Director Brian Taylor ( perhaps most known for directing the two Crank movies with Jason Statham ), have made a very odd film that can´t be compared to anything else this year. A mix of the cult classic The Stepfather and perhaps The Crazies ( 2010 remake ). This is not a fantastic film in any way, just a crazy fun watch for being so odd. Mom And Dad may be the film that should be shown in parents groups, remember that kids makes life wonderful. This film will clearly confirm that.

Rating: DDD