Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes
      Watch trailer for Mother

      Mother

      2009, Crime/Drama, 2h 8m

      118 Reviews 10,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      As fleshy as it is funny, Bong Joon-Ho's Mother straddles family drama, horror and comedy with a deft grasp of tone and plenty of eerie visuals. Read critic reviews

      You might also like

      See More
      Four Lions poster image
      Four Lions
      Lorna's Silence poster image
      Lorna's Silence
      Sin nombre poster image
      Sin nombre
      The Counterfeiters poster image
      The Counterfeiters
      Taxi to the Dark Side poster image
      Taxi to the Dark Side

      Where to watch

      Rent/buy Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      Movie Info

      A widow (Kim Hye-ja) resides with her mentally challenged son (Won-bin) in a small South Korean town, where she scrapes out a living selling medicinal herbs. Mother and son are plunged into a nightmare when the body of a murdered young girl is discovered. Circumstantial evidence indicates the son's involvement, and he becomes the prime suspect during the sloppy police investigation. Betrayed by the legal system, the mother takes the law into her own hands to clear her son's name.

      • Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Some Sexual Content|Violence)

      • Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & thriller

      • Original Language: Korean

      • Director: Bong Joon Ho

      • Producer: Choi Jae-won

      • Writer: Bong Joon Ho, Park Eungyo, Park Wongyu

      • Release Date (Theaters):  limited

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $547.3K

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Magnolia Pictures

      Cast & Crew

      Won-bin
      Jin Goo
      Kim Byoung-sun
      Bong Joon Ho
      Park Eungyo
      Park Wongyu
      Katharine Kim
      Miky Lee
      Moon Yanggwon
      Lee Byung-woo
      Hong Kyung-pyo
      Moon Sae-gyeong
      Ryu Seong-hui

      News & Interviews for Mother

      Critic Reviews for Mother

      Audience Reviews for Mother

      • Dec 30, 2020
        You go in expecting shocking revelations but are given something much sadder and frankly more engaging. Bong Joon-ho is the master at these kinds of narratives, giving the audience what it needs instead of what they want and then convincing them that the ending is exactly what they wanted in the first place.
        Super Reviewer
      • Jun 20, 2015
        fan of this director, this feature also written by him focuses on a mothers persistent pursuit of her sons freedom at any cost. Awkwardly engaging, serenely shot with intrepid camerawork. Most importantly well acted and crafted, with humour and creativity being key in the darkest moments.
        Super Reviewer
      • Aug 22, 2013
        Joon-ho Bong's "Mother" is a Korean thriller, which takes one mother's deep love for her simple son and turns it into an intriguing murder mystery with a slight hint of darkness. When Do-joon, a mentally challenged young man, is put away for the murder of a high school girl, his mother becomes determined to prove his innocence. Hye-ja Kim, who plays Mother, portrays an innocence all her own, with a deep sadness projected from her eyes in every scene, while blindly devoted and completely positive of her son's inability to commit such a crime, carrying this film from start to finish. Most of the characters she comes across feel guilty of something, whether it be the murder in question or something equally as bad, and prove just as devious as one has come to expect in the dark world of Korean cinema. Had the film been darker and captured more of a horror film feel, "Mother" would have been the perfect thriller. Instead, it rides the line between thriller and drama, never quite letting all the way go. With some stunning cinematography and a thought-provoking twist to a murder mystery, Bong's transcends its inability to stay dark and leaves a memorable benchmark in foreign films.
        Super Reviewer
      • Aug 17, 2013
        So outstanding I can barely comprehend it. A sheer masterpiece in storytelling and direction. Unmissable.
        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All