HomeFilmArrow Video FrightFest 2021: 'Motherly' review

Arrow Video FrightFest 2021: ‘Motherly’ review

Kate (Lora Burke) and her daughter Beth (Tessa Kozma) are in witness protection and living in an isolated farmhouse, trying to start a new life. Forced to go into hiding when Kateā€™s husband was charged with murdering a young girl, the mother and daughter have a strained relationship. The officer assigned to keep an eye on Kate and Beth, Hal (Colin Paradine), makes a routine visit and after he leaves, the house is invaded by a couple hellbent on revenge and finding out the truth about the murder that Kateā€™s husband committed.

ā€˜Motherlyā€™ is directed by Craig David Wallace, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ian Malone. The film is a tight and tense home invasion thriller that packs a surprisingly layered story and plenty of surprises. When weā€™re first introduced to Kate, itā€™s clear that her relationship with her daughter is hanging by a thread. No matter what Kate tries to placate Beth, she continually gets it wrong and the stroppy young girl makes it known that sheā€™d rather live with her father.

Motherly
Credit: Raven Banner

Hal further complicates things as he (perhaps unintentionally) steps into the father role for Beth, who rejects him and isnā€™t happy when heā€™s in the house. Kate on the other hand finds Hal a shoulder to lean on while she tries to move on from the murder that her family was embroiled in. There is some fantastic character work done here, with Kate and Beth feeling like fully rounded characters and the script does a very good job of really bringing home just how fragile their relationship is.

The action ramps up when two people force their way into Kateā€™s home and separate her from Beth. Confused and scared, Kate soon discovers that the antagonists are the parents of the little girl whom her husband murdered. The only problem is, they donā€™t believe Kateā€™s version of events and they are willing to go to extreme lengths to find out what really happened. At this point in the film, I began working out the way the story was going to unravel but honestly it didnā€™t spoil it for me at all. Even though I worked out around 75% of it, there were still moments that caught me by surprise and I was hooked from start to finish.

Motherly
Credit: Raven Banner

Something interesting to note about the cast is that Lora Burke, Nick Smyth and Colin Paradine were all in Arrow Video FrightFest 2020 hit ā€˜For The Sake of Viciousā€™. They come together here in a very different way but Iā€™m starting to think the three actors are a good indication of quality when it comes to the horror genre. While Smyth doesnā€™t get as much to do here, Paradine and Burke are standouts, with Burke in particular wowing with a tour-de-force performance. Sheā€™s simply brilliant as Kate and you believe her as a woman who has been through incredible trauma.

ā€˜Motherlyā€™ is definitely one of my surprises of Arrow Video FrightFest. While it may not be covering completely new ground, itā€™s a fantastic film with strong direction, a compelling story and stunning lead performances. Whether you guess whatā€™s going on or not, youā€™ll still enjoy the film and I guarantee you that the final moments will leave you with your jaw on the floor.

Motherly
Credit: Raven Banner

Cast: Lora Burke, Tessa Kozma, Kristen MacCulloch, Nick Smyth, Colin Paradine Director: Craig David Wallace Writer: Craig David Wallace & Ian Malone Certificate: 18 Duration: 80 mins Released by: Raven Banner

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Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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