Jessica Chastain's Other Mommy has delivered one of the weekend's most striking box office contradictions: moviegoers turned out in force for a horror film that early audiences graded D+. The supernatural thriller claimed the North American crown with an estimated $27.5 million opening, outperforming expectations despite a harsh reception from critics and ticket buyers.
Released by Universal Pictures, the film opened in 3,365 theaters and reached an estimated $45.2 million worldwide after launching in 50 international markets. Against a reported production budget of approximately $19 million, those figures give the release a promising start, although ticket grosses do not represent studio profit and exclude marketing costs.
The unsettling premise centers on a young girl terrorized by a supernatural presence she calls "Other Mommy." Its opening suggests that the promise of a disturbing theatrical experience proved persuasive during the Halloween season. Whether that curiosity can sustain ticket sales after the initial rush is the question facing its next weekend.
The D+ CinemaScore makes that challenge particularly sharp. The grade reflects surveyed opening-night moviegoers, placing the film alongside divisive releases such as Hereditary and Megalopolis. A first-place finish gives Universal a strong headline, but the audience response leaves the film's staying power uncertain.
For now, Other Mommy has achieved a result that its reviews alone would scarcely predict: a commanding debut. Its next test will be whether the same unsettling experience that drew viewers into theaters gives them a reason to recommend it.
