YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER is a new horror movie from Ireland. The story is based on Irish folklore, which you’ve probably heard before. In fact, we’ve seen a few horror movies with this kind of story and they tend to be slow-burn and character-driven. This is no different, which is a good thing. When a storytelling style works there’s no need to try and fix it.

There’s an intensity to the folklore of “old countries” that always gets to me. The idea that something has been talked about for centuries and still manages to seep into horror stories today, says a lot. More specifically, it says that this kind of storytelling is so damn efficient that it continues to scare people worldwide.

In You Are Not My Mother, the title makes for an even more terrifying story. The idea that your mom could be replaced with something else. You still see the woman that you know as your mother, but you just know it isn’t her. Now that is something that sends chills down anyone’s spine. And, of course, you can also replace “mother” with any other caregiver from your life.

Still, where You Are Not My Mother truly excels, is at using the folklore angle to touch on a much more current and tangible issue: Mental illness. To be fair, it could also be addiction issues or other things that create change in people close to you. Here, it seems to be depression or bipolar disorder, which means a school girl is forced to handle a lot of things on her own.

In the lead role, as Char, we see Hazel Doupe. She is absolutely heartbreaking as the young girl that struggles with having a mom, who isn’t emotionally there, and a grandmother with psychical disabilities. She tries so hard to be strong and protect her home. However, at the same time, she really doesn’t feel safe at home.

Add the brutal bullying she is subjected to, and you have the recipe for a truly tragic and unjust childhood.

However, in flashbacks, we see that times have been better. And Char also manages to get a friend. Still, even the budding new friendship isn’t without hardships.

All of these elements to the storyline come across with both heart and heartbreak in the portrayal by Hazel Doupe (The Green Sea). Also, you might recognize the actor playing her mother. Her name is Carolyn Bracken and she was in the horror movie The Lodgers (2017) and the TV series Dublin Murders (2019).

Watch You Are Not My Mother in theaters or On-Demand

Kate Dolan is the writer and director of You Are Not My Mother, which is her feature film debut on both counts. She has been making short films for a decade and the time was clearly right for a feature film. This is a very strong debut which makes me expect great things from this writer-director in the future.

This kind of slow-burn horror movie which works with both folklore and social commentary won’t be for everyone. However, for me, Kate Dolan has created an intriguing and intense horror movie that is worth watching for everyone.

With a runtime of just 93 minutes, the pacing is tight while also leaving ample room to explore the emotional side of the storyline. That in itself is no small feat and the end result is all the better for it. You really don’t want to miss out on this one!

YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER will be out in limited theaters and on-demand on March 25, 2022.