Jessica Chastain's supernatural horror thriller "Other Mommy" topped the domestic box office in its opening weekend, earning a solid 27.8 million dollars despite withering reviews and a D+ CinemaScore from audiences who saw it Thursday and Friday.

The Universal Pictures release, directed by Rob Savage and written by Nathan Elston, exceeded industry tracking that had pegged the film for a 17 to 22 million dollar debut. Strong Friday night turnout from horror fans apparently overcame the critical drubbing and poor word-of-mouth to push the film past the 27 million dollar mark by Sunday night.

The opening puts "Other Mommy" among the stronger October horror debuts of recent years, though it falls well short of blockbuster horror openings like "A Quiet Place Part III" and the most recent "Halloween" installment. Universal held the film back from most critics until the last minute, suggesting the studio knew it had a product that would not earn critical favor.

Chastain Carries Horror Entry

Chastain plays a mother whose demonic doppelganger terrorizes her family in what reviews described as a formulaic possession thriller that relies on jump scares rather than sustained tension. Despite the two-time Oscar nominee's committed performance, critics dismissed the film as a bland retread of better supernatural horror films.

Bloody Disgusting's scathing review noted the film is "too formulaic and haphazard in its execution to generate anything resembling fear," while Fandom Wire called it "shockingly exposed as a one-trick pony." The poor critical reception did not prevent horror fans from turning out opening weekend, though the D+ CinemaScore suggests significant audience drop-off in subsequent weeks.

The film comes from Blumhouse Productions and executive producer James Wan, the "Insidious" and "Conjuring" franchise architect who has built a reputation for elevated horror. "Other Mommy" represents a rare misfire for the Wan-Blumhouse partnership that has delivered both critical and commercial successes over the past decade.

Box Office Competition

Anne Hathaway's psychological thriller "Verity" finished second with 12 million dollars, down 64 percent from its opening weekend as word-of-mouth cooled on the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. The steep decline suggests "Verity" may struggle to reach 50 million dollars domestically despite its strong opening.

The previous weekend's horror champion "Resident Evil" fell to third place with 8.6 million dollars in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to approximately 82 million dollars. The Zack Cregger-directed franchise reboot has performed respectably but looks unlikely to crack 100 million dollars domestically.

"Heart of the Beast" claimed fourth place with 7.4 million dollars, while Aaron Sorkin's political drama "The Social Reckoning" disappointed in fifth position with just 5 million dollars in its opening frame. The Sorkin film's weak debut suggests audiences may have limited appetite for political content heading into the midterm elections.

The overall box office remains robust as the fall film calendar delivers consistent product for adult audiences. "Other Mommy" benefits from limited horror competition in the marketplace, though its poor CinemaScore suggests the film will face steep declines as audiences steer friends and family away from the poorly reviewed thriller.

Universal has not disclosed production budgets or marketing costs for "Other Mommy," but industry estimates peg the film at roughly 40 million to 50 million dollars all-in. The studio will need strong international performance to push the film into profitability, assuming standard ancillary revenue from streaming and home video.

Horror remains one of Hollywood's most reliable genres for consistent returns, even when individual films fail to connect critically. "Other Mommy" appears positioned for a quick theatrical run before heading to premium video-on-demand and Universal's streaming platforms in early 2027.