Mother's Day (2010)

By John Chard

I'm proud of my boys, they never forget their momma. Excellent remake of Troma's schlocky 80s original. Story has three criminal brothers on the run from a bank robbery gone wrong and they plan to hide out in their childhood home. Unfortunately it's not their home anymore, so they take the couple living there and their party guests hostage and violence becomes the order of the day; especially with the arrival of the boys' psychotic mother... It's bloody and bloody intense as director Darren Lynn Bousman updates the original to modern times. Featuring torture and humiliation, it's not what you would call a comfortable date movie experience, but the makers manage to blend the trashy exploitation of the source with today's terrifying home invasion themes with considerable success. The narrative is not perfect, with leaps of faith required for some twists and credulity is stretched to breaking point, but with Rebecca De Mornay on fire as the mad matriarch, the flaws are easily forgiven. 8/10