Directors: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
Notable Cast: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, John Adams, Lulu Adams
NOTE: This film will be coming to Shudder in 2026.
The Adams Family has made a name for themselves over the past decade in the horror community. The core four have gathered once more to collaborate on their tenth feature together (if I'm not mistaken on that number), and this marks their 6th horror film together as a collective. I have yet to explore their works before The Hatred (2018), but I have been a fan ever since I picked up that double-bill home video release that Arrow put out with that and The Deeper You Dig (2019), which ended up being the film that got a lot of eyes on them at Fantasia Fest that year. They've since made a plethora of films, and I believe this is their 4th time taking the stage at the big genre festival. They have quite a rapport with many folks, including myself, but there is no denying their handcrafted, DIY, and very punk style of filmmaking, which just seems to get stronger and more creative each year. They sort of detoured a bit with last year's Hell Hole, which had more of a "bigger", perhaps even mainstream appeal. I liked it more than most seemed to. Still, I will say that their woodsy, sort of spiritualistic style of storytelling and narrative crafting shifted into a more streamlined, albeit gooey and absolutely wild creature feature. For the most part, it worked. They did an episode of the show Tales from the Void, and now have two features coming soon to the world. One, called Slug (if memory serves), will be the next one, and today's film to discuss is Mother of Flies, which marks a very strong return to form for the family.
Mother of Flies tells the tale of a young woman named Mickey (Zelda Adams), who is being killed by a brutal chronic illness, and nothing seems to be working. She is without a mother, but her loving father (John Adams) is by her side, no matter what. One day, Mickey tells her father of a wooded location, where she will be meeting a mysterious woman named Solveig, a recluse who resides deep in nature. She practices dark magic and has strong ties to both nature and the realm of death. Mickey, not ready to let her young life slip through the cracks, agrees to take on Solveig's three-day stint of dark arts and rituals of death magic. What unfolds is shocking, yet endearing and ultimately thought-provoking. I think Mother of Flies will divide audiences, but there is no doubt it is a daring and highly effective piece of work. I wasn't expecting that opening, which I will not spoil, but let's just say it grabs you from the get-go, and will linger in one's mind, even after the rest of this brutal tale has played out. The witchy soundtrack by the family's own H6LLB6ND6R lends itself to the story and visuals more strongly than previous efforts, and I think this blending of original songs and visuals with the rhythmic editing is particularly effective this time. John's editing improves with each successive film, and this is evident in the flow and dynamism of the many intense scenes that unfold here. He always just seems to know precisely when to cut to the next beat. Even the more emotional scenes, both quiet and louder ones, hold on just as long as the scene requires and move forward at all the right moments. It's great!
As I mentioned, the visuals here are next level. The moody lighting, the way the camera moves, almost feels like a wicked dance with the three key players. There are some great steady-cam shots that stood out, and again, I just loved the way it all flows. There are so many stunningly framed shots throughout that I wanted to immediately show off to everyone, but alas, people will get to admire them all soon enough. I liked that the film knew when to have a strong movement and when to put the camera on a tripod, capturing an image that was more still, yet all the more potent in its staging and composition. Toby felt so fierce in every shot, and John just really knows how to frame his wife so powerfully. Zelda has many moments that accentuate her pain and the emotional journey she is being thrust through as she tries one last time to trust in a new process and to let herself surrender to the darkness, to see what good, hopefully, comes from it. The acting here from everyone is truly remarkable, and it's a career-best turn-in from everyone across the board. Even Lulu has a lovely little cameo later on in the film, and she garnered some laughter from me. The film gets very dark as I said, but it doesn't forget to inject humor throughout with the dialogue and certain situations that play out. John provides a lot of the comic relief, with his open and very vocal doubting of Solveig's "magic," which seems like hocus pocus to him (sorry!). He is a very realistic dad character, goofy yet loving, and I say that from personal experience. I adore the obvious real-life chemistry between him and Zelda, and their love for one another shines through these roles quite brightly, but they really tapped into the characters they are portraying in this bleak world.
For horror lovers, there are plenty of spooky things at play here, but gore guys and gals and everyone in between... There are so many bloody moments to love in Mother of Flies. There is some grotesque sexual imagery that will be a turn-off to some, but macabre and fascinating to others. Perhaps I need help, but I was thrilled to see them push the envelope here. Some of what is shown here, again, is just downright brutal and nasty, and I loved every moment of it. I was curious how they pulled off a couple of moments, one in particular involving a ceiling, and uhm... yeah, absolutely wild (no spoilers)! Also, there is a certain humanly prop that shows up, and wow, it is one of the greatest uses of said prop (of what it is) that I have ever seen. Again, I think some folks will be upset, but I was soaking it all in. Kudos to the Adams family for making something that is both shocking and repulsive at times, while also being beautiful and very thought-provoking too. It is a balance that many struggle with, but they do it with ease. Mother of Flies is no doubt not gonna be for everyone, but for those that mesh with it, there is a lot you are going to get out of it. That poetic dialogue, along with the accompanying music and visuals, perfectly coalesce onscreen here.
All I can say after seeing this movie is that it is definitely neck and neck with my favorite horror movie of 2025 thus far. I like a film that can deliver a visceral and bloody experience while also showcasing the human condition and exploring the depths of our emotional cores. The Adams tap into that so well. They are the little family that could. This is absolutely a return to form for any of the doubters out there. This is a back-to-basics film, but it also takes those familiar things to the next level. I loved all the dark magic on display, the costumes and the setting(s)... oh, and that house! The house in this film is also a character, and its design is top-notch as well. I could ramble and ramble, but I'm clearly in love with this film already. There are some minor flaws, one example being the rough-around-the-edges opening scenes after the actual hard open that occurs. The shots in the car felt awkwardly positioned, and the framing in the diner felt somewhat artificial at times, but everything else feels so organic, and again, it's next level for the filmmakers. An absolutely dark and vicious feast for the eyes and ears, Mother of Flies conjures up one of 2025's most evil, yet endearing pieces of cinema. I look forward to seeing what this family crafts next. The creativity was through the roof with this one. Truly blown away by the experience!
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