Other Mommy: Everything You Need to Know — Including How to Watch in Spanish
What if the person standing in front of you looked exactly like your mother—
but wasn't?
That is the nightmare at the center of Other Mommy, the new supernatural horror movie starring Jessica Chastain in two very different roles.
The movie arrives in U.S. theaters on October 9, 2026, from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster. It is directed by Host and The Boogeyman filmmaker Rob Savage and produced by modern horror heavyweight James Wan.
But perhaps the most interesting detail is where the story came from.
Other Mommy is based on Incidents Around the House, the acclaimed 2024 horror novel by Josh Malerman, the author of Bird Box. The story follows eight-year-old Bela, whose already troubled family becomes threatened by a strange entity that looks uncannily like her mother and repeatedly asks one terrifying question:
Can I go inside your heart?
Jessica Chastain plays both Bela's real mother and the supernatural figure Bela calls Other Mommy.
And for audiences who want to see Other Mommy in Spanish, there is already confirmed good news.
Cinemark has created a separate [En Español] Other Mommy theatrical listing, while Harkins is advertising the movie as Madre siniestra [doblado en Español].
So if you're searching for:
Other Mommy in Spanish
Other Mommy Spanish Dubbed
Other Mommy Dubbed in Spanish
Other Mommy En Español
Other Mommy Doblada en Español
or
Madre Siniestra
here is everything you need to know before the movie arrives.
When Does Other Mommy Come Out?
Other Mommy opens in U.S. theaters on October 9, 2026.
Universal Pictures confirms the October 9 theatrical release, while major theater chains including Cinemark are already selling or preparing advance tickets.
The movie had previously been scheduled for an earlier 2026 release before moving into October.
That new date makes sense.
A supernatural horror film from Blumhouse and James Wan arriving only weeks before Halloween is exactly the kind of movie designed for October audiences.
What Is Other Mommy About?
The story centers on Bela, an eight-year-old girl whose family is already experiencing problems at home.
Then something else enters her life.
Something she calls:
Other Mommy.
The entity appears in Bela's home and looks almost exactly like her real mother.
At first, Bela develops a strange relationship with the creature.
But Other Mommy wants something.
She repeatedly asks Bela whether she can go inside her heart.
And when Bela continues refusing, the entity becomes more aggressive.
Universal describes the movie as a journey into Bela's increasingly dark world as she forms a relationship with a sinister entity in her home that looks uncannily like her mother.
The original novel takes the concept even further.
Josh Malerman's publisher describes Other Mommy as a malevolent presence that becomes increasingly restless, powerful and bold each time Bela refuses her request. At the same time, problems within Bela's family weaken the sense of security she once depended on.
That combination is what makes the premise so effective.
Bela isn't merely being haunted by a monster.
The monster looks like the person she should trust more than anyone else.
Who Is Bela?
Arabella Olivia Clark plays Bela.
She is the eight-year-old child at the center of the movie.
And that's important because Other Mommy isn't simply about adults discovering something supernatural inside their home.
The story is largely built around the experience of a child.
Bela sees something the adults initially may not completely understand.
She has conversations with it.
She gives it a name.
And because Other Mommy resembles her actual mother, Bela has to confront an especially disturbing question:
How does a child know which mother is real?
Universal identifies Clark as one of the movie's three central performers alongside Jessica Chastain and Jay Duplass.
Jessica Chastain Plays Two Roles
The movie's biggest acting hook is Jessica Chastain's dual performance.
She plays:
Bela's real mother
and
Other Mommy.
The entity doesn't merely imitate the mother's general appearance.
It looks like her.
Sounds like her.
Smiles like her.
And that means Chastain has to create two versions of what appears to be the same person while making one of them feel fundamentally wrong.
Universal specifically describes Chastain as starring in a dual role as Bela's mother and the manifestation of Other Mommy.
That turns the movie's horror into something more psychologically unsettling than a traditional creature feature.
The monster doesn't need to hide under the bed.
It can walk into the room wearing the face of someone Bela loves.
Jessica Chastain Didn't Rely on Heavy Prosthetics to Make Other Mommy Scary
One of the more interesting creative choices was apparently not to transform Chastain into an obviously monstrous creature.
Director Rob Savage and Chastain wanted Other Mommy to retain enough familiarity to remain believable as Bela's mother.
Instead, much of the horror comes from performance.
Facial expressions.
Movement.
Posture.
And particularly:
the smile.
Chastain recently described experimenting with the character's smile during production. She realized she had found something genuinely unsettling when a young child saw the expression and screamed.
That anecdote helps explain the movie's approach.
Other Mommy doesn't necessarily need giant teeth or an elaborate creature suit to be frightening.
The horror comes from seeing a familiar face behave in a way that tells you:
something is deeply wrong.
Who Plays Bela's Father?
Jay Duplass plays Bela's father, known as Daddo.
The family dynamic matters enormously because the supernatural story occurs against the backdrop of problems within Bela's parents' marriage.
In the original novel, Bela sees Mommy, Daddo and Grandma Ruth as the center of her entire world.
But Other Mommy begins exploiting the cracks already developing inside that world.
That means the movie's threat isn't only supernatural.
The family is already vulnerable before the entity becomes increasingly dangerous.
Who Is in the Other Mommy Cast?
The principal cast includes:
Jessica Chastain as Bela's mother and Other Mommy
Arabella Olivia Clark as Bela
Jay Duplass as Bela's father
Dichen Lachman
Arian Moayed
Karen Allen
Universal directly confirms that ensemble.
The supporting cast is particularly interesting.
Dichen Lachman is known for projects including Severance.
Arian Moayed appeared in Succession.
And Karen Allen remains closely associated with the Indiana Jones films.
Who Directed Other Mommy?
Other Mommy is directed by Rob Savage.
Horror fans may already know Savage from Host, the 2020 supernatural horror movie constructed around a video call during lockdown.
He later directed The Boogeyman, another horror adaptation based on the work of a major genre writer.
For Other Mommy, Savage is working with material from Josh Malerman, whose Bird Box previously became one of Netflix's most famous horror adaptations.
Universal specifically describes Savage as the filmmaker behind Host and The Boogeyman.
Who Wrote Other Mommy?
The screenplay is written by Nathan Elston.
Elston previously wrote for HBO's Succession.
The film is adapted from Josh Malerman's Incidents Around the House.
The combination is intriguing because the source material isn't simply a collection of scares.
The dysfunctional family relationships are essential to why the haunting works.
A writer with experience handling complicated family relationships and manipulation in Succession is therefore an interesting fit.
James Wan Is Producing Other Mommy
James Wan produces the movie through the Blumhouse Atomic Monster partnership.
Wan is one of the most influential figures in modern theatrical horror.
His credits are connected to franchises including:
Saw
Insidious
and
The Conjuring.
Universal is openly using Wan's involvement as one of the movie's major selling points.
And it makes sense.
Other Mommy deals with exactly the kind of concept that Wan's work has repeatedly explored:
a family,
a home,
a supernatural presence,
and something terrifying crossing the boundary between safety and danger.
Other Mommy Is a Blumhouse and Atomic Monster Movie
The film comes from Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster, alongside Spin a Black Yarn.
That means two of the companies most closely associated with contemporary studio horror are behind the project.
Universal has already had major horror success through its relationship with Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, with franchises and films including M3GAN, Five Nights at Freddy's and The Black Phone.
For horror audiences, those names establish a pretty clear expectation:
Other Mommy is not being positioned as a prestige drama with a few frightening elements.
Universal is selling it as a full supernatural horror movie.
Other Mommy Is Based on Incidents Around the House
The source novel was published in hardcover on June 25, 2024.
Incidents Around the House was written by Josh Malerman, whose debut novel Bird Box inspired the successful Netflix film starring Sandra Bullock.
The book follows eight-year-old Bela and the increasing danger posed by the entity she calls Other Mommy.
Malerman tells the story through Bela's perspective, giving the novel an unusual childlike voice.
That makes the horror particularly effective.
Adults reading the story may recognize dangers or meanings that Bela doesn't fully understand.
Meanwhile, Bela is forced to interpret increasingly frightening events using the limited understanding of an eight-year-old.
Was Incidents Around the House Successful?
Yes.
Penguin Random House identifies Incidents Around the House as a national bestseller.
The book was also:
a Locus Award finalist
and
a Bram Stoker Award nominee.
It received particularly strong attention among horror readers because of how aggressively frightening the story was designed to be.
That reputation places a lot of pressure on the movie.
Fans aren't simply hoping for another decent supernatural thriller.
They're hoping Savage can reproduce the unusually claustrophobic fear that made the book stand out.
Is Other Mommy the Same Story as the Book?
The core setup is clearly intact.
The movie still centers on:
Bela,
her troubled family,
the house,
and the entity she calls Other Mommy.
The entity still looks like Bela's mother.
And the disturbing request to enter Bela's heart remains central to the film's marketing.
But film adaptations inevitably change material.
The book has the luxury of remaining deeply inside Bela's perspective for hundreds of pages.
A movie has to externalize that information.
It also has Jessica Chastain physically portraying both the mother and supernatural double, giving the adaptation a visual tool the novel didn't have.
Readers should therefore expect the film to preserve the concept while finding cinematic ways to communicate Bela's experience.
Do You Need to Read Incidents Around the House Before Other Mommy?
No.
The movie is being marketed as a standalone horror film.
You can enter knowing nothing beyond the basic premise.
In fact, horror often works better when the viewer doesn't know exactly what the monster is capable of.
Reading the book first gives you more context.
But watching the movie first preserves more uncertainty.
If you're particularly spoiler-sensitive, avoid detailed plot summaries of the novel before October 9.
How Long Is Other Mommy?
Other Mommy runs approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Both Cinemark and Rotten Tomatoes list a runtime of 93 minutes.
That's relatively concise for a modern theatrical release.
For horror, that can be a strength.
The concept is simple enough that the movie doesn't need three hours of mythology.
A child sees something that looks like her mother.
It wants inside.
And every time she says no, things get worse.
What Is Other Mommy Rated?
Other Mommy is rated R.
The rating is for:
Language
and
some bloody violence.
Parents should pay particular attention to this one because the presence of an eight-year-old protagonist could make the movie look more accessible to younger audiences than it actually is.
This is a horror movie aimed at adults and older teenagers.
Is Other Mommy Appropriate for Children?
Probably not for younger children.
Even setting aside the R rating, the basic premise is specifically designed to exploit childhood fears.
A creature appears from around the house.
It resembles a parent.
It tries to earn a child's trust.
And it becomes increasingly threatening.
For young viewers who already have fears about:
dark bedrooms,
closets,
being alone,
or something happening to a parent,
Other Mommy could be especially intense.
Is Other Mommy a Ghost Movie?
Not exactly.
The antagonist is better described as a sinister supernatural entity.
Universal doesn't simply identify it as a ghost.
It is something that manifests in Bela's home and takes on the appearance of her mother.
The mystery surrounding what Other Mommy actually is forms part of the horror.
The movie may reveal more about the entity as the story develops, but audiences going in fresh don't need an explanation before seeing it.
Why Does Other Mommy Ask “Can I Go Inside Your Heart?”
That question comes directly from the premise of Josh Malerman's novel.
Other Mommy repeatedly asks Bela for permission.
And Bela repeatedly refuses.
The longer this continues, the more aggressive the entity becomes.
Malerman's publisher describes Other Mommy as becoming increasingly restless, stronger and bolder while threatening Bela's family unless she eventually says yes.
Why the entity requires permission—and what “inside your heart” actually means—is part of the mystery.
It's also what gives the story its most memorable hook.
A monster demanding entry is frightening.
A monster politely asking a child for permission is somehow worse.
When Do Reviews for Other Mommy Come Out?
As of October 4, 2026, the movie has not yet opened.
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists zero critic reviews and zero verified audience ratings.
So any article claiming there is already a meaningful Rotten Tomatoes score would be premature.
Reviews should begin appearing closer to the October 9 opening.
Until then, the anticipation is being driven primarily by:
the novel's reputation,
Jessica Chastain,
Rob Savage,
James Wan,
Blumhouse,
and the trailers.
Is Other Mommy Streaming?
Not yet.
The movie is launching as a theatrical release on October 9.
Current streaming trackers do not list the movie as available to stream, rent or purchase digitally in the United States.
Universal has not announced a definitive streaming date that should be treated as confirmed.
If you want to see it opening weekend, the confirmed option is the movie theater.
Is Other Mommy Available in Dolby Cinema?
Universal's official showtime page includes Dolby Cinema and Dolby Atmos among available format filters for participating theaters.
Availability will depend on the specific location.
If you're choosing between formats, horror can particularly benefit from a strong sound system.
A movie built around footsteps, voices, sounds from another room and something moving inside a house can become significantly more effective with immersive audio.
How to Watch Other Mommy in Spanish
Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States already have confirmed theatrical options.
Unlike movies where we have to wait to see whether a Spanish dub will receive U.S. showtimes, Other Mommy has dedicated Spanish-dubbed listings before release.
Both Cinemark and Harkins provide direct confirmation.
Cinemark Has [En Español] Other Mommy
Cinemark has created a separate official movie page called:
[En Español] Other Mommy
The Spanish version has the same:
October 9 release date
R rating
and
1 hour 33 minute runtime.
That is strong confirmation that a Spanish-dubbed version is being distributed theatrically in the United States.
To find a screening:
Go to Cinemark.
Search for [En Español] Other Mommy.
Enter your ZIP code.
Look for participating theaters.
Confirm the language label before purchasing your ticket.
Not every Cinemark is guaranteed to carry the Spanish version.
Availability will depend on the market.
Harkins Is Showing Madre Siniestra Doblado en Español
Harkins provides even more explicit confirmation.
Its official listing calls the movie:
Madre siniestra [doblado en Español].
Harkins lists the film as opening October 9, 2026, with the same 93-minute runtime and R rating.
The wording couldn't be much clearer:
Doblado en Español.
That means audiences attending those screenings will hear Spanish dialogue rather than simply reading subtitles.
What Is Other Mommy Called in Spanish?
The Spanish title varies by market.
In several Latin American markets, the movie is being promoted as:
Madre Siniestra.
Some Spanish-language sources also refer to it as:
La Otra Madre.
In the United States, Cinemark keeps the English title and labels the presentation:
[En Español] Other Mommy.
So when searching for tickets, try all three:
Other Mommy En Español
Madre Siniestra
and
La Otra Madre
Does Other Mommy Have a Spanish-Language Dub?
Yes.
The answer is definitively yes.
Harkins explicitly describes its theatrical version as doblado en Español, while Latin American promotional materials have released trailers with a Spanish-language dub.
So this is not merely a subtitled release.
A full Spanish audio version exists.
Is the Spanish Dub Latin American Spanish?
Official Latin American promotional material for Madre Siniestra includes trailers specifically identified as doblaje en español latino.
That confirms a Latin American Spanish dub exists.
For any particular U.S. screening, however, always check the theater's language description if the regional variety of Spanish matters to you.
Spanish Dubbed vs. Spanish Subtitles
These are different experiences.
Spanish Dubbed / Doblado en Español / Spanish Spoken
means the characters' voices are heard in Spanish.
Spanish Subtitles
normally means the movie remains in English while Spanish translations appear as text.
If your goal is:
Other Mommy Spanish Dubbed
look for:
[En Español]
or
Doblado en Español.
Cinemark and Harkins both have confirmed listings that satisfy that search intent.
Can You Watch Other Mommy in Spanish with TheaterEars?
As of October 4, 2026, TheaterEars' public Current Releases page does not list Other Mommy among its published titles.
Because the movie has not opened yet, that could still change.
But we should not claim that an Other Mommy TheaterEars track is currently confirmed.
If you want to use TheaterEars after release, check the app directly.
For now, the Spanish-audio options we can publicly confirm are dedicated dubbed screenings through chains including Cinemark and Harkins.
Is Other Mommy Worth Seeing If You Read the Book?
The movie has several reasons for book fans to pay attention.
Rob Savage has already shown that he understands compact supernatural horror.
Jessica Chastain gives filmmakers the opportunity to turn Other Mommy's resemblance to Bela's mother into something visually immediate.
James Wan brings decades of modern supernatural-horror experience.
And the central premise has remained intact.
That does not guarantee the adaptation will satisfy every reader.
But the filmmakers clearly understand that the most frightening thing about Malerman's story isn't simply that there is something in Bela's house.
It's that the thing understands trust.
Why Other Mommy Could Be One of October's Biggest Horror Movies
October 2026 is crowded.
But Other Mommy has an unusually strong combination of horror credentials:
Jessica Chastain
Rob Savage
James Wan
Blumhouse
Atomic Monster
Josh Malerman
and a high-concept premise that can be explained in one sentence.
A little girl sees something that looks exactly like her mother.
That something wants permission to enter her heart.
That's the kind of horror concept audiences understand immediately.
And because Other Mommy opens on October 9, it has most of the Halloween season to build word of mouth.
Frequently Asked Questions About Other Mommy
When does Other Mommy come out?
Other Mommy opens in U.S. theaters on October 9, 2026.
What is Other Mommy about?
Eight-year-old Bela develops a relationship with a sinister entity living in her home that looks uncannily like her own mother.
Who plays Other Mommy?
Jessica Chastain plays both Bela's mother and Other Mommy.
Who plays Bela?
Arabella Olivia Clark plays eight-year-old Bela.
Who plays Bela's dad?
Jay Duplass plays Daddo, Bela's father.
Who directed Other Mommy?
Rob Savage, director of Host and The Boogeyman.
Who produced Other Mommy?
James Wan produces the film.
Is Other Mommy based on a book?
Yes. It is based on Josh Malerman's 2024 novel Incidents Around the House.
Is Josh Malerman the author of Bird Box?
Yes. Malerman's debut novel Bird Box became the Netflix film starring Sandra Bullock.
How long is Other Mommy?
Approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes.
What is Other Mommy rated?
R for language and some bloody violence.
Is Other Mommy in Spanish?
Yes. Dedicated Spanish-dubbed theatrical versions are already confirmed in the United States.
Where can I watch Other Mommy in Spanish?
Cinemark has a dedicated [En Español] Other Mommy listing, while Harkins lists Madre siniestra [doblado en Español]. Availability depends on location.
Is Other Mommy dubbed in Spanish?
Yes. Harkins explicitly identifies its version as doblado en Español.
What is Other Mommy called in Spanish?
The movie is being marketed as Madre Siniestra in several Latin American markets. It is also sometimes identified as La Otra Madre.
Does Other Mommy have a Latin Spanish dub?
Yes. Promotional materials have been released with a Spanish Latin American dub.
Is Other Mommy on TheaterEars?
The public TheaterEars Current Releases page does not list the movie as of October 4, 2026, so check the TheaterEars app after release rather than assuming a track is available.
Is Other Mommy streaming?
Not yet. Its confirmed launch is theatrical, and no official streaming date has been announced.
What are the reviews for Other Mommy?
As of October 4, the movie has not yet opened and Rotten Tomatoes lists no critic or verified audience reviews.
Other Mommy Turns the Safest Person in a Child's World Into the Monster
The most effective horror concepts are often incredibly simple.
A shark swims beneath you.
Someone is calling from inside the house.
You can't make a sound.
You can't fall asleep.
And now:
Your mother isn't your mother.
That is what makes Other Mommy such a strong horror premise.
Bela is eight years old.
Her parents' marriage is already struggling.
Her family is supposed to be the one place where she feels safe.
Then something enters that family wearing the face of her mother.
Jessica Chastain doesn't simply have to play a monster.
She has to play something that understands what Bela expects her mother to look like—
and knows how to use that familiarity against her.
Rob Savage has the opportunity to turn Josh Malerman's claustrophobic novel into a movie about childhood trust becoming terrifying.
James Wan and Blumhouse bring serious modern horror credentials.
And the October 9 release puts it directly into the heart of Halloween season.
If you want to watch it in Spanish, the options are already taking shape.
Search for:
Other Mommy En Español
Other Mommy Spanish Dubbed
Other Mommy Doblado en Español
Madre Siniestra
or
La Otra Madre.
Cinemark has officially listed [En Español] Other Mommy.
Harkins is even more explicit:
Madre siniestra [doblado en Español].
So audiences can choose the language before entering the theater.
The much harder choice belongs to Bela.
Because when someone who looks exactly like your mother is standing inside your home and asks:
“Can I go inside your heart?”
you had better be very sure which mommy you're talking to.
