Equal parts cerebral and graphic, Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh, Ich Seh) is an immediate cult favorite from Austrian filmmakers Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz. A contemporary setting with a mid-century modern aesthetic, the overall tone of the film is quiet, daring its audience to listen and watch more closely. With their glowing skin and bright blue eyes, the characters seem angelic and inviting, yet be prepared for this seemingly warm cinematic experience to throughly turn your world upside down and possibly leave you with nightmares. You’ve been warned.

Twins Elias and Lukas (Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz), nine year-old boys who find each other’s presence company enough, are awaiting their mother’s return from facial reconstructive surgery in the early scenes of the film. Bandaged and unrecognizable, she (Susanne Wuest) returns home and immediately something seems off to the boys. This is not the mother they knew. 

Together, the boys make a pact that they will get her to crack, and the torturous ways in which they go about getting their information is almost unbearable to watch.

Small incidents since their mother’s return only further proves to the boys that the bandaged woman is impostor. She favors one son more than the other, vocalizes her frustrations with the twin’s relationship as if wanting to break them up, and more significantly, is missing her signature mole on the right side of her face. Together, the boys make a pact that they will get her to crack, and the torturous ways in which they go about getting their information is almost unbearable to watch.

There are some stereotypical thriller tropes that are sprinkled throughout the film; for example, you know it’s a scary movie when the family doesn’t have neighbors and live in a remote, yet beautiful, wooded oasis. A couple jump scares here and dream sequences there, this art film didn’t necessarily need to stoop to that level to achieve those “scary” moments.

Goodnight Mommy works because it is a very tight, solid film. There are three principal actors, one main location, and minimal dialogue. The horror builds from the twin boys’ insecurities, which is perfectly conveyed by novice actors Elias and Lukas, who make their cinematic debut here. Their innocence is perfectly guided too, making it hard for the audience to confidently decide on who to sympathize with. It is a welcoming but unsettling feeling, is this really their mother? And if so, is she an innocent victim? Are the boys just misunderstood or are they terrorists? Being a genre film, we tend to throw guesses at every possible twist very early on, but keeping an open mind and enjoying the ride will give you the best experience.

Goodnight Mommy opens at Cinefamily this Friday.