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Motherhood In Horror: 7 Films on the Dark Side of Parenting

Just when you thought being a mom wasn’t scary enough

6 min readOct 21, 2024
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Photo from Birth/Rebirth distributed by IFC Films

Moms are scary. Being a mom is scary. The maternal experience is already a uniquely terrifying endeavor without the added challenges of mental illness, curses, ghosts, and ghouls. But blending those elements together can make for a very cathartic adventure in storytelling.

The following horror movies are distinct examples of the struggles women face in pregnancy, parenthood, and personal identity. Enjoy a blend of indie titles, foreign film, and new releases that haven’t had much time in the spotlight.

1. Raging Grace (2023)

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A young woman peers gingerly around an elegant, antique home.
Photo Source: Raging Grace | Blue Finch

The Premise: Single mother Joy (Max Eigenmann) struggles to care for her daughter as an undocumented Filipina immigrant in the UK. With Joy working as a caretaker, the two surreptitiously squat between houses with every placement. That is until she unexpectedly scores a new live-in position for a wealthy senior. The only caveat: Joy must hide her daughter from the terminally ill client and his adult niece. But the estate, haunted by a complex history with Filipino workers, has…

Charity Turkula
Charity Turkula

Written by Charity Turkula

Ukrainian-Canadian woman with more vinegar than Baba's borscht.