MOTHERS FROM HELL

By: Demonia Macabra

*Spoiler Alert*

On this day when we celebrate our mother, Demonia Macabra took on the task of making a list of the most macabre mothers in horror cinema...

Mother of the creator: Rosemary from Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968).

A truly neurotic mother who spends the entire film protecting her unborn son from her freaky neighbors and her strange husband, who had no problem with his wife becoming the mother of the devil's own son in exchange for fame and fortune. The old saying truly applies here: "A daughter's son is surely my grandson; a son's son — only the devil would know." The film's original theme, composed by Krystoff Komeda and performed by Mia Farrow herself, is perfect for lulling your little macabre babies to sleep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffw1u0aXn0o (abre en nueva pestaña)

Vengeful mother: Pamela Voorhees in Friday the 13th (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980)

What else can a mother do but avenge her son's death, doing away with his hormonal "friends" in the best-case scenario, and creating one of the most iconic and celebrated characters in horror cinema? We all want that mask.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcoi-Zgg8BU (abre en nueva pestaña)

Loving mother: Norman Bates's mother in Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

"A man has no better friend than his mother." Do I need to say anything else? Well, just don't spoil the ending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps8H3rg5GfM (abre en nueva pestaña)

Protective mother: Mother in Mother's Day (Charles Kaufman, 1980)

One of the most hateful and bizarre mothers in film, mother of a lovely brood of rapist, torturer, and murderer sons. Not content with unleashing such charmers on the world, she proved you could be even more infamous than the blessings that came with them, with nothing but discipline and rigidity. Perfect for celebrating this day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V4BzD0iiaI (abre en nueva pestaña)

Religious mother: Margaret White in Carrie (Brian de Palma, 1976)

Good girls shouldn't leave the house — they face too many dangers and are at the mercy of committing carnal sins, not to mention their bullying classmates. Doña Margaret knows this perfectly well, which is why she protects the innocent, repressed telekinetic girl Carrie, to the death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuO26oJQLVs (abre en nueva pestaña)

Mother from beyond: Mama (Andy Muschietti, 2013)

Mama is one of the best mothers there is, here or anywhere else. She protects her little girls and plays with them. She has a bit of a temper, but what mother wouldn't if someone tried to take her daughters away from her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s3vBKnPa9k (abre en nueva pestaña)

Superstar mother: Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest (Frank Perry, 1981)

If you're the daughter of one of Hollywood's biggest superstars, don't expect her full attention — even less so if you're adopted. Mommie Dearest isn't exactly a horror movie, but Joan Crawford in her role as a mother certainly was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EliGqYkFUyY (abre en nueva pestaña)

Killer mother: Beverly Sutphin in Serial Mom (John Waters, 1994)

My favorite. The sequence where Beverly drives home after committing a glorious murder, singing in her soccer-mom minivan, Barry Manilow's saccharine song, Daybreak, is one of the standout moments in one of the most irreverent and biting films about the American middle class. One of the mothers with the best possible sense of humor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAcimdt8Po0 (abre en nueva pestaña)

Bloody mother: La femme in À l'intérieur (Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, 2007)

Strange as it may seem, this film has a moral: pay close attention when driving a car. A fatal accident that ends a pregnancy can turn your life into a very bloody nightmare, in which the thirst for revenge of a woman desperate to become a mother can lead to fatal consequences in pursuit of her dream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Aqb1lFNtQ (abre en nueva pestaña)

Mother from another world: Alien in Alien III (David Fincher, 1992)

Alien is the mother we'd all like to have. She lives in space, giving birth to new offspring in eggs that could well be inside our own bodies. She's quiet, but once she's after her prey, she won't hesitate to use her two mouths full of teeth. Plus, she's sleek and brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipv1y-Phi7A (abre en nueva pestaña)

Tearful mother: La llorona in La llorona (René Cardona, 1960)

Finally, the mother not only of her own children but of all Mexicans, who weeps and wails through the corners of cities, towns, and fields. The classic legend brought to life in a period film starring María Elena Marqués in the role of La llorona.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qytTkbByzX8 (abre en nueva pestaña)