The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Not a horror film, but still terrifying, not a thriller, but still captivating, and not a comedy, but still sinisterly funny. Mom and Dad contained several great elements, but none were as great as the brilliant Nicholas Cage.

The film’s general premise is disturbingly intriguing; a bizarre phenomenon, of unknown origins, takes over a small town causing parents to violently murder their own children. The film focuses on the Ryan family; teenager Carly Ryan (Anne Winters), and her little brother Josh (Zackary Arthur), try to survive their murderously crazed father (Nicholas Cage) and mother (Selma Blair).  

Cage was terrifying, disturbing, and more believable than any actor who could have played this role. The role allotted Cage with the opportunity to reveal his full range as an actor, and that is exactly what he did. Playing Brent Ryan, the audience forgot completely about Cage, and were absolutely mortified with Ryan and the bizarre phenomenon that caused him to become a murderous father.

Selma Blair was also a perfect fit for her role: Blair was able to strike the balance between a loving mother, and the disturbing psycho killer she becomes, as the film progresses. While her performance was believable and compelling, she was profoundly overshadowed by Cage and his amazing performance. Indeed, we did not receive Blair with the same appreciation that we would have received her with, had she been starring opposite someone other than Cage.

As such, Mom and Dad had audiences on the edge of their seats, despite its several pitfalls.

Speaking of pitfalls, the film’s take on comedy was perhaps a bit too dark in some scenes, and far too dysfunctional in other scenes. Moreover, the film’s choice of music was not always right, as it was constantly fluctuating between the Comedy genre, the Horror genre, and the Thriller genre, without hitting a clear mark. Furthermore, Mom and Dad’s first half dragged on for an extremely long time; the only thing that kept this half interesting was the thrill of the constant and violent murder attempts, as well as Cage’s ingenuity.

We have to say, however, that the film’s ending was interestingly debatable. While the ending may seem pointless to some, to others it sent forth a strong message: resenting one’s children is quite a natural psychological ideation that crosses almost every parent’s mind. This message made for a controversial film, especially when screened to members of, the child loving and family focused, Egyptian society.

Overall the film is unsettling and captivating. For thrill lovers, and Cage lovers, this film is a must see.