Chastain and Duplass on Parenthood Fears in New Horror Film 'Other Mommy'

Jessica Chastain and Jay Duplass lead the cast of "Other Mommy," a horror film arriving in theatres on October 9. The story centres on Bela, an eight-year-old girl played by Arabella Olivia Clark, who is tormented by a dark presence that takes the form of her mother, leaving her unsure whom she can trust. Chastain appears in two roles — as Bela's mother and as the sinister "other mommy."

Speaking about the film, Chastain said it gave her room to examine ideas around motherhood that she had wanted to express. She noted that women are often taught to feel grateful in all circumstances, and that the film looks at what happens when the more difficult, hidden side of being a mother takes physical shape.

Duplass described his character, mostly called Daddo, as a stay-at-home father navigating a reversal of traditional gender roles. He said the man struggles with self-esteem while trying to keep a side career going, and that he found it interesting to explore the emotional territory of that situation.

Chastain also addressed the care taken with her young co-star. She said the topic of protecting children came up in her first conversation with director Rob Savage, and that doubles and stunt performers handled much of the frightening material rather than Clark. Chastain said she does not want anyone to suffer on a set she works on, and that such safeguards matter to her.

The film's title has drawn questions online, with some wondering why it is not "Other Mother," which would rhyme. Chastain explained that the story unfolds from the viewpoint of an eight-year-old, who would say "mommy" rather than "mother." She traced the title to the book that inspired the film, "Incidents Around the House," whose author got the idea after his brother recounted saying goodnight to his young daughter, only to hear her reply, "Goodnight, other mommy." Duplass called the anecdote the scariest thing a parent could hear.