Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant: A Goopy Kiwi Sci-Fi Comedy

If it feels like women’s issues are on the front lines right now, you’re probably right. But truthfully, they’ve been brewing under the surface for decades, probably ever since we started demanding the right to vote and our own bank accounts.

There are countless films dealing with the struggles women have faced in the world: consent, bodily autonomy, structured gender norms- these are but a few. Earlier this year, the breakout box office smasher Obsession pulled some of these concerns into the light, highlighting the consequences of forcing your will onto someone else, whether intended or not. 

Now we’ve got something new on the block. The clever little Kiwi film, Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant, takes all of these issues, mushes them together into one excessively gooey ball of extraterrestrial spunk, and throws them back into our faces.

The film’s storyline is pretty straightforward: Mary (played by Hannah Lynch) is a late-twentysomething underachiever living at home with her mother, Cynthia (played by Yvette Parsons). After Mary has an explosive late-night laundry interaction with her neighbour’s reclusive son Boo (played by Arlo Green), and his very special genitalia, Mary very quickly realises something is off with her body. With this revelation, we’re plunged into chaos as Mary tries to navigate a system that already has expectations of her that she’s not interested in meeting.

Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant dives into some very heavy themes, including abortion, consent, and some of the fucked up societal norms that women are guilted into accepting. Everyone assumes Mary is going to come right and have her epiphany moment: that all she actually needs is to be a mother, and then everything would fall into place. Her frustration and anger at not being heard make it easy to see how, when women have no other options, they are forced to take matters into their own hands.

Lynch’s portrayal of Mary is expertly crafted, and she is absolutely brilliant in the role. While the film is fantastically directed by the duo Thunderlips (individually known as Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor), Lynch steals the show as she’s asked to do wilder and crazier things onscreen, and she delivers a performance that is raw and honest. She fights to be seen and have her voice heard in a world that seems hell-bent on dismissing her. Without her strong performance, the film wouldn’t hit the same.

The mother-daughter dynamic between Lynch and Parsons as her boundary-ignoring mum, Cynthia, feels natural and highly relatable. It’s clear that Cynthia loves her daughter, but she struggles to accept Mary as an autonomous person with her own opinions and views. The friend I went to see the film with said it felt like watching her own mother on screen, and she could feel the judgement radiating from the screen.

For all the heavy undertones, Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant is absolutely hilarious, bringing all the Kiwi humour right from the goody-goody gumdrop opening. With a supporting cast that includes Jackie van Beek (as Boo’s mum, Ann), Johnny Brugh (as the useless Dr Richard Neidhart), and the always hilarious Karen O’Leary (as paramedic Sofia), they add the comedic touches when situations get too deep, keeping things lighthearted while still getting the point across.

This review wouldn’t be complete without discussing baby-daddy Boo and his trembling, wet-noodle personality. He’s just someone around whom everything seems to happen, and he tries his best to avoid getting involved (even though he’s the direct cause of the chaos). Mary steps in, though, forcing him to take responsibility for his actions.

This is where the film’s brilliance kicks in, flipping social norms on their heads. We’re used to seeing the father just disappear, leaving mum to try and navigate life as a single parent. Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant refuses to let this happen and does a great job of highlighting the fact that there are two parties involved in a pregnancy, not just the one carrying it.

While the film’s cast is absolutely top-notch, a huge shout-out goes to the crew as well. At the Q&A here in Christchurch, the directors and VFX crew explained how the props and set were all built and filmed not on a soundstage (no budget for that), but in a small flat that had to fit everyone plus a giant alien cocoon. This is no small feat, and the claustrophobic vibe really increases the intensity on the screen. Additionally, the film’s practical effects are better than some recent Hollywood movies, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen enough alien tentacle genitalia to last me a lifetime.  

Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant is a wild sci-fi body horror romp full of goop, glop, and alien slime. It’s also going to make you think about traditional gender roles, why healthcare systems don’t take women seriously, and the crazy idea that you should get to decide what’s best for you and your body.

The film is about to complete a Q&A tour across NZ and will have a wider release on Thursday 10 September 2026. If you’re into weird and crazy, or you just think alien babies are cute, do everyone a favour and go see it. Support these local filmmakers so we can get more like this in the future.

5 vacuum cleaners out of 5

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