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Mother

Play trailer Poster for Mother R Released Mar 12, 2010 2h 8m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 120 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
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.
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Mother

Mother

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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.

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Critics Reviews

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Megan Ratner Film Comment Magazine The film wears its aesthetic sophistication lightly ( ... ) Bong takes the idea of the primacy of perception over reality to its ultimate extreme. Jan 2, 2016 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Bong's opening and climactic scenes, in which the old woman bops around to a dance tune amid a vast field of yellow grass, are typical of the movie's cockeyed poetry. Dec 30, 2010 Full Review Jonathan Crocker Little White Lies Another quality Bong hit. Rated: 4/5 Aug 20, 2010 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm . . . it’s as if a dark tragedy has been cast with lovable clowns. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 5, 2025 Full Review Dave Giannini InSession Film Mother is equal parts funny, engaging, and disgusting. Feb 20, 2024 Full Review Ray Pride Newcity Approaches the intensity of... <I>Vengeance is Mine</I>, but Bong’s mix of bumptious humor and strong plotting [leads] to a musical climax that’s the cinematic equivalent of acupuncture, releasing all the knots, gliding into a glorious sunset. Rated: 10/10 May 14, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sergio A Another Bong Joon-ho masterpiece. This time, without overwhelming the story with excessive character backstories or complex subplots, it feels simpler on the surface, yet it’s full of hidden layers. As always, Bong weaves in brilliantly subtle social commentary, exploring love, intimacy, justice, and truth. The lead actress delivers an immense, powerful, and deeply moving performance. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/30/25 Full Review Greg K Seldomly a piece of art grabs your heart and turns it 180° and back. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/04/25 Full Review Gonzalo T The innocence of love takes a dark, twisted turn when it comes from a mother, and this film explores that theme with almost unsettling intensity, revealing with stark clarity how easily appearances can conceal the unimaginable. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review Audience Member Both the son and the mother were r***ards. Killed an innocent man. What kind of a person does that? Justice should be served... Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/17/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 2 hours and 8 minutes!!!!!!! Rated R for Language, Drug Use, Some Sexual Content and Violence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Korean and American English audio versions with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $543,700.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/20/25 Full Review Logan D When a her mentally handicapped son is accused of murder, a mother investigates the crime herself to absolve him. Very humorous at times despite the seriousness of the tale. The son is willful and doesn't make it easy for his mother. And I do hope real cops wouldn't be that abusive of a person like him. Kim Hye-Ja anchors the film, imbedding her deep within her character's persona. And the best part of a mystery is not knowing how it will end. I didn't. Recommended Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/28/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Mother

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Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Bong Joon Ho
Producer
Choi Jae-won
Screenwriter
Bong Joon Ho, Park Eungyo, Park Wongyu
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
CJ Entertainment
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Some Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 12, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 21, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$547.3K
Runtime
2h 8m
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