[Movie Review] Mother | The Toxic Mother Based on True Story

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Movie title: Mother (マザー)| Director: Tatsushi Ômori | Release Date: July 3, 2020 | Runtime: 126 minutes.

Before I tell you about this film. First, I want to tell you that two weeks ago there was a mother that murdered her kids. I feel so sad. She told us that humans can be monsters. In a video that I found on social media, police interviewed her about the reason that she killed her children and she said, "I want my kids to feel peace, I don't want them to feel like I felt before."

I was so sad. She had a painful childhood experience and it traumatized for her life. I think the reason is not wrong, but her actions are wrong. She freed her children from pain in the wrong way.

And this film, though not the same, reminds me of that case.

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THE PLOT
Mother is one of the craziest movies I've ever seen. Usually, movies about a mother can always make us cry, but this one will make us angry and feel annoyed with the character of the mother in this movie.

I watched this because I got a recommendation from a friend, of course with a clue if this movie is not like most mother's movies.

Toxic and crazy.

Two words that I will embed in the Japanese movie titled Mother which was released in 2020. Starring Masami Nagasawa (Akiko) and Sho Gunji (Shuhei), this film succeeded in making me really angry with the characters.

The early scenes of the film still feel normal because Akiko and her son, Shuhei, live like parents and children. Akiko is also still trying to find a job to make ends meet. You could say, their family is good, although the figure of Akiko's husband is not seen in this film. What you have to remember is, that my expectation at the beginning was that this film would have a touching ending, but let's see until the end of the story.

The conflict in this film is built slowly, starting from Akiko not getting a job, then going to her parent's house to borrow money, going to her sister with the same goal, to being scolded for not paying her debt.

I was touched by this scene. Akiko tries hard to support herself and her child because she can't find a job. But it turns out that there is another reason that makes his family no longer want to have anything to do with Akiko, namely because Akiko spends borrowed money on gambling, drinking, and changing partners.

Little Shuhei had to keep up with where his mother lived. Until one day, his mother met a man named Ryo (Sadao Abe) and went somewhere and abandoned Shuhei at home. This scene pissed me off. Why is there such a mother in the world.

Unfortunately, Shuhei who has been abandoned is still faithfully waiting for his mother's return. Without feeling the least bit worried, Akiko went home without feeling guilty and started telling Shuhei to ask his aunt and grandmother for money.

Live without direction, Akiko who was pregnant, Shuhei who grew up, everything passed and things were still as before. Shuhei still regards his mother as a role model and the world he belongs to. One day, they met a social worker and were given a place to live and school facilities for Shuhei, but again the problem came. Ryo who had left Akiko returned and was in debt. They ran away together and couldn't help it Shuhei had to go with his mother.

The mother manipulated him. I feel so sad. Shuhei who I thought was going to rebel because he wanted to stay in school, but because of his mother's manipulative words, as well as too much affection, he finally complied.

And that goes on until the unexpected happens.

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MY IMPRESSION & OPINION
Watching this movie makes me want to be angry. In my opinion, using children's love to do everything they want is not the right thing. Selfish and toxic become part of Akiko's character that cannot be released. Submissive and disobedient also lived within Shuhei. No matter how Shuhei rebelled, he still did what his mother told him to because he loved his mother.

Until the end of the story, I felt very, very devastated. Shuhei sincerely loved his mother, but his mother felt completely innocent for doing such a thing to Shuhei. He feels that's how a child should be treated and does what his mother wants.

Honestly, Mother's movie makes both angry and congested for a family-themed movie. Because, in reality, we always know that there is this kind of mother and not just in movies.

And in character, Masami Nagasawa is deeply immersed in his role as a toxic mother.

Mother is a film inspired by a true story in Kawaguchi. The film was written and directed by Tatsushi Omori with Takehiko Minato.
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So, have you watched this too? Tell me your favorite scene! Or any recommendation for another movie similar to this genre?

You can watch it on Netflix. Or watch the trailer here.

My rate: 4/5

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