MOM AND DAD – Remodel Your Family Using Power Tools

Apparently Nicolas Cage is capable of anything, and since he has been butchering his career for years, he could probably do the same to anything else, right? If he eats cockroaches and learns acting from an octopus, and for over a decade has worked better as a meme than a character in cinema, then he must have a core instead of a brain, right? No. This actor likely still has a lot to offer, and this is proven not only by Mandy, but also by the film discussed today, Mom and Dad.

And although it may not be an outstanding work, it is quite successful and clearly shows that Cage finds himself well in the areas where horror and comedy intersect. And the film itself is one of the more interesting genre mixes we have received in recent years.

The United States plunges into chaos. An unknown factor causes all parents to turn into bloodthirsty beasts, but only toward their own children. Eliminating their offspring – as quickly and at any cost – becomes the main driving force behind their actions. Teenager Carly and her younger brother Josh try to fend off the attack of their loved ones together.

It is good. You can feel it from the very beginning of the screening, opened with an excellent grindhouse intro, and the impression does not fade until the end – a truly successful one, suggesting that the director knows when and how to cut the story so that it remains engaging, meaningful, and impactful. In Mom and Dad, Brian Taylor, co-creator of Crank, consistently opts for effective entertainment cinema, which does not shy away from serious elements that are not forced in, but form an integral part of the whole. Fundamentally, however, we have a wild gallop here – sharp and gripping the amused viewer’s attention in a vise.

But where is the fun when children are being murdered? I understand that the very subject matter, as well as the scene in which a mother tries to murder her child right after giving birth (to the accompaniment of It Must Have Been Love by Roxette), violates social taboo. However, the thing sounds more frightening than it looks, because Taylor does not head toward French extremity, but toward a healthy satire of a society so frustrated that something has to snap. And it snaps – the basic unit of society goes up in flames.

The reason for the collective madness is not explained. It does not matter, however, whether a virus or sunspots are involved. From the very beginning, the director gives us a clear signal that the white-picket-fence middle class is not happy at all, waking up in their tidy homes on a sunny day. Brent and Kendall are frustrated parents. He is going through a midlife crisis – focused on nostalgia for times of erotic conquests and tired of the existence of a hard-working dad; in the background lurks barely concealed aggression.

She holds up somewhat better, but slowly realizes that – in accordance with all trends, also on the job market – she is already a mom suspected of cellulite, which closes the gates to anything more exciting than dropping kids off at school. The marriage runs a household together, not an exciting life. As a couple, they only truly get going in a hunt for children filled with sexual and atavistic power. Those children, whose upbringing took them many years and cost a lot of money. Those children with whom they cannot communicate, even if they really want to. Those children who think they are entitled to everything.

The titular mom and dad gave themselves away; their marriage became an incubator for new individuals. A desperate Kendall, wanting to establish any kind of contact with her daughter, explains that family are people you do not give a damn about, but actually you do not not give a damn about. The girl, however, does not want to listen to this – sincere or merely provocative – statement, because she is scrolling Facebook. She can only add that it is not her fault that her mother has a lousy life. Kendall’s friend envies the firm breasts of that little bitch (read: her own daughter).

The ambiguous relationships between parents and children are shown here without sentimental wrapping, highlighting such problems as jealousy over sexual potential or the atomization of the family, whose members function like several separate tribes focused on fighting for their own interests. And although the creators paint this picture with a thick line, not bothering with subtlety, the vision comes across as convincing and thoroughly contemporary – because the times are not subtle. Pressed America spreads itself apart, and the director fires up (literally and figuratively) a chainsaw for offspring. Hell breaks loose.

And although parents throwing themselves at their children like piranhas at meat is – theoretically – a nightmarish sight, one must admit that… we are not that surprised by the frenzy of the adults. And almost certainly anyone who has ever thought or felt that THEY ARE ABOUT TO SNAP in contact with their loved ones will understand Brent and Kendall, who have not yet turned into wild beasts but must endure their roles with clenched teeth. And this is where the strength of Mom and Dad lies.

The film works very effectively on our simple emotions. It is not hard to see plot similarities to classic horrors: Would You Kill a Child? and Night of the Living Dead or The Crazies by George A. Romero, but on the level of detail it is a thoroughly contemporary work – with cell phones, fitness, and the pseudo-idyll of pampered suburbs. The mysterious transformation of adults also turned out interesting. They are not zombies. They retained memories, intellectual capacity. The only thing that distinguishes them from themselves from a moment ago is treating children as a target for extermination.

The film is quite sharp. The attack scenes carry violence, blood splashes abundantly. Especially the first – mass – strike at the school playground has the atmosphere of wild fever. The director gladly flattens the taboo into a pancake, but does not try to pin us down with disgust. He prefers to focus on portraying chaos and madness. Horror, however, merges here with comedy. The creators’ ironic approach provides us with a kind of lubricant when serving the viewer a heavy concept, as well as – simply – good fun.

Horror and laughter do not cancel each other out here, but form a strong hybrid engine, providing the production with high revs. Usually, the death of a child in cinema means a shock for the viewer (for example Assault on Precinct 13) and resonates strongly in the film world – the motif introduces a serious, depressive mood. In Mom and Dad, the creators lay entire ranks of kids to waste, but they do it in a nonchalantly fair style (on the principle: How many times can one watch children who always come out unscathed?!). And although the massacre scenes keep tension, at the same time they are not too heavy or overwhelming.

Taylor skillfully holds the helm, making sure not to deviate from the chosen course toward good fun. Cage performs solidly here. He seemingly plays an ordinary dad – slightly grumpy and tired – but in fact Brent from the very beginning has a distinctly psychopathic edge. The actor can, as is his habit, go quite over the top – make faces, scream, and excessively spill bile. Yet he seems to do it with more commitment than most of the things he has done on screen in recent times. He himself admits that he particularly values this film and this role.

Selma Blair plays in a somewhat more restrained manner. Her character is also drawn more subtly. Nevertheless, the two form a successful duo as a couple who want to remodel the family using power tools. The performances of the younger actors are equally successful, and additionally, in an episode role, the legendary Lance Henriksen shines – a hoarse icon of cinema, charismatic in class A, B, and all other letters. A small role of this type of actor in this type of production is a classic cherry on top. The action unfolds briskly, and the execution is exceptionally solid. The cinematography and editing are dynamic, and the soundtrack is filled either with sugary pop tracks contrasting with the on-screen carnage, or unsettling hums and grating noises. Technically – a very efficient piece for a mid-budget film.

This vision may provide cathartic experiences for parents (who may be frightened by the fact that the film gave them a certain kind of pleasure). It will certainly also make one – cautiously, but still – watch the further moves of Nicolas Cage and smaller productions that may not enter cinemas but pleasantly drill into the head. A short, tight, and refreshing screening. Nothing special, yet satisfying.