May is for mothers, and we’re here to celebrate with a list of some of the most depraved and terrifying mums in cinema.
There’s a wide range of mothering instincts out there, and the horror mums on this list seem to have significantly less than the general average.
From basic neglect to homicidal maniac, we beg to ask the question: Does Mother know best?
I’ll let you be the judge.
6. Rachel Keller – The Ring (2002)
What would you do if you were investigating a gruesome death, then suddenly find yourself in possession of a murderous videotape?
If you’re Rachel Keller, you leave said tape lying around for your 10-year-old son to find. Of course, that’s after leaving him alone for extended periods of time while you go off and do work stuff.
While Rachel’s inability to childproof her home from a killer VHS may not be as extreme as some of the other mums on this list, her blatant disregard for her son’s safety is pretty scary.
5. Solange – The Front Room (2024)
If manipulation were a person, it would look like Solange.
Estrangement was probably the best-case scenario for her stepson, Norman, and his wife, Belinda, and they seemed to be doing just fine without the malicious matriarch.
Life is cruel, though, and in a messy twist of fate, Solange ends up living with the expecting married couple, making it clear from the start she’s hell-bent on making their lives as awful as possible.
Solange’s tirades of abuse range from mildly annoying to downright maniacal, and Belinda is left to clean up the aftermath. And yikes, there is a lot of aftermath.
4. Ellie – Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Sometimes being a bad mum isn’t your fault, just ask poor Deadite Ellie.
In fact, you could make the argument that it’s her kids who are the worst since they’re responsible for unleashing an unspeakable horror upon their entire apartment complex.
But regardless of who you blame, the end result is the same, and Ellie wreaks hellish havoc on her family, her neighbours, and anyone else unlucky enough to be in the general vicinity.
Spoiler alert: not everyone will survive this demonic mum’s tirade.
3. La Llorona – The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
In terms of straight-up scariness, there aren’t many things more terrifying than a vengeful, guilt-ridden mum from beyond the grave.
Damned to roam the Earth as punishment for drowning her own children (which is already pretty bad), this Weeping Woman continues her murderous ways by leading other people’s kids to their untimely deaths.
La Llorona is a sad and tragic story, but that’s no excuse for leaning into her killer urges.
2. Vera Cosgrove – Braindead (1992)
Some mums are as bad dead as they are alive, and it’s unlikely anyone will shed a tear over the loss of Vera Cosgrove.
In life, Vera is a straight-up bully, torturing her son Lionel until he becomes the meekest version of himself.
She even crashes his date at the zoo, gets herself bitten by a plague-infected rat-monkey, then turns into a ravenous zombie.
For attempting to ruin her son’s life, consuming her own ear at the dinner table, and dismembering everyone she sees, Vera Cosgrove easily earns herself a spot on the list.
1. Margaret White – Carrie (1976)
As far as religious zealots go, there aren’t many more fanatical than Margaret White. Her mothering skills, however, leave a lot to be desired.
To be fair, it’s probably really stressful raising a telekinetic teenager, but I’m sure we can all agree that calling your daughter a witch, locking her in a prayer closet, and stabbing her with a butcher knife aren’t going to win you Mother of the Year.
Ultimately, Margaret gets what she deserves, but not before the entire town suffers for her maternal shortcomings.
There you have it, my picks for some of the most heinous mums in horror.
Do you think I got it right or have I done these mothers dirty?
Head over to the NZHF Facebook community to share your thoughts!
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