TIFF Review: You Are Not My Mother

You Are Not My Mother is a fun and creepy Halloween-time debut film by writer/director Kate Dolan. The concept of a changeling is always an interesting horror topic, but You Are Not My Mother takes the concept to the next level.

Char (Hazel Doupe) has been worried about her mother Angela’s (Carolyn Bracken), behavior. Angela does not seem to be herself. One morning, Char reminds her mother that she needs to visit the grocery after dropping her off at school, as they have no food in the house. Angela seems vague and dismissive. Afterwards, Angela goes missing and her car is found in an abandoned field….groceries still in the car. When Angela eventually shows back up, she is acting strange. Very strange.

Many reading this will certainly know the legend of changelings; disgruntled Faerie folk abduct a human child and replace them with a “not-quite-right” replica. You Are Not My Mother explores the concept of what would happen if a replaced changeling was pursued by their transformer. Insert Optimus Prime jokes here.

Char’s maternal Grammy (Ingrid Craigie), seems to be the only person who truly knows what’s going on. To say anything more would be spoiling an interesting, and only mildly predictable plot. I do have to mention that one of the scarier parts in You Are Not My Mother is very similar to an infamously startling scene from the amazing film It Follows.

I absolutely love scary films that are specifically Halloween-related, and You Are Not My Mother will definitely be added to my annual list of October must-sees. The small town Halloween ambiance is wonderfully captured in this film, but is certainly not the primary focus.

The cinematography and sound design of You Are Not My Mother are fantastic. The lead performances are all solid…..but Doupe and Bracken as the tortured mother and daughter are especially notable. There are some genuinely scary moments here, but I would still barely classify this as a horror film.

Many amazing horror films in the past decade have revolved around family trauma and secrets. Hereditary, Relic, and The Witch immediately come to mind. Also, The Changling, obviously based on a similar premise, may be the best haunted house film ever made.

I love the spooky, Halloween-themed, mystical horror that You Are Not My Mother delivers. However, despite the strong performances, story, and atmosphere…….I just wanted it to be more scary. I do still recommend this film and look forward to Kate Dolan’s next project.