Mother

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Mother

R

Released Mar 12, 2010

2h 8m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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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

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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

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Jonathan Crocker

Little White Lies

Another quality Bong hit.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 20, 2010

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

. . . it’s as if a dark tragedy has been cast with lovable clowns.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 5, 2025

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Mother is equal parts funny, engaging, and disgusting.

Feb 20, 2024

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Bong Joon Ho

Director

Kim Hye-ja

Mother

Won-bin

Yoon Do-joon

Jin Goo

Jin-tae

Yoon Je-moon

Je-moon

Jeon Mi-sun

Mi-sun

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26%

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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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