A psychosexual thriller dubbed a ‘must-watch’ and ‘quietly devastating’ has landed on Amazon Prime Video.
Starring Strange Darling’s Kyle Gallner and Teen Wolf’s Holland Roden, Mother, May I? follows Emmett (Gallner), who is forced to confront his troubled relationship with his mother when she dies, and he travels to her home with girlfriend Anya (Roden).
His fears intensify when Anya begins acting strangely, as if possessed by the spirit of his deceased mother.
Mother, May I? holds an impressive 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the powerful central performances and the twisty narrative.
The film premiered at Fantasy Filmfest in April 2023 before enjoying a cinema release that same July, receiving positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
In their review, the Los Angeles Times said: ‘It’s a handsome-looking ghost story, about a man who was haunted by his mother even when she was alive.’
The Guardian wrote: ‘Vannicelli doesn’t quite pull everything together in the last act, but there’s an immense amount of craft on display as well as some terrific acting from the two leads who play off one another so well.’
Cultured Vultures said it boasted ‘thoughtful and sensitive performances from Kyle Gallner and Holland Roden that make Mother, May I? a must-watch.’
Bloody Disgusting added: ‘The film hinges on the performances of Roden and Gallner, and they completely deliver. Mother, May I? is a simmering slow burn, filled with psychosexual tension, quietly devastating moments, and sumptuous visuals.’
Meanwhile, Paste Magazine said: ‘Mother, May I? is authentically, vulnerably, fantastically acted, and achingly wounded with a personal appeal.’
Speaking to Filmhounds Magazine, Dinner In America and Smile actor Gallner explained what attracted him to the film, directed by Laurence Vannicelli.
‘Mother, May I? was an interesting one because you have this supernatural element to it, where his girlfriend starts acting like his mother,’ he began.
‘He’s coming face-to-face with his trauma, and you don’t know what’s real and what’s not.’
He added: ‘I also thought it was interesting that you have these two people who are at a really interesting time in their lives, where clearly they’ve been together for a long time. But the fun and games of it all are done, and they now need to start asking themselves, “What does the future look like? Is it kids? Is it marriage? What are we doing?”
‘You throw all the anxiety of that with him dealing with his mother’s death, and then that same mother coming face to face with him, and I just thought it was a really unique clusterf**k.
‘ Having to dig into who [Emmett] is, and all the stuff that Holland’s [Roden, Anya] character gives in the psychology exercises, there was so much to play with.’