Serial Mom

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Serial Mom

R

1994

1h 33m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

A seemingly perfect wife and mother (Kathleen Turner) from Baltimore gains celebrity status as a serial killer.

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Critics Consensus

Kathleen Turner proves an ideal match for John Waters' suburban satire in Serial Mom, even if the somewhat scattershot end results often lack the expected bite.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Nevertheless, there’s an undeniable pleasure in finding a comic imagination based so exclusively on personal quirks and predilections, even when it’s less than wholly adept in telling a story.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 6, 2022

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

Rather mild and scattershot in its satiric marksmanship...

May 8, 2008

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Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

A loose remake of Female Trouble with Polyester's subversively accessible polish, Serial Mom is the strongest film of the post-midnight-movie chapter of John Waters's career.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 6, 2008

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Waters may be playing it safe in the studio system, but Serial Mom, thankfully, doesn't skimp on the auteur's affinity for the weird outcast.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 25, 2025

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

There's no many redeeming qualities in this. It was pure nonsense.

Rated: 1/5

Jan 29, 2024

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

This was a chore to get through. It was painfully unfunny and at times incredibly gross.

Rated: 1/5

Jan 29, 2024

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Mari B

A very entertaining movie with one of the best protagonists, surpringly good story and holds up well today.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/25

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King C

An absolute ball to watch! Just one of those films where you either get it or you don't.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

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Stuart R

A winning first half, a weak second half.🍀

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/30/25

Full Review

Anime F

Serial Mom was absolutely horrible, when they finally caught her they later let her go after wining by default. All of the evidence was there even when she was doing something to win the case everyone acted like they didn't see or noticed her—even her kids are as stupid as her. This movie was a huge waste of my time and it's not even funny at all.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/29/25

Full Review

Nick O

The great John Waters injects his trademark filthy humor into this smart, pseudo-slasher about what could happen after too many PTA meetings!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/28/25

Full Review

Amilia P

This movie made me cackle.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

Full Review

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John Waters

Director

Kathleen Turner

Beverly Sutphin

Sam Waterston

Eugene Sutphin, D.D.S.

Ricki Lake

Misty Sutphin

Matthew Lillard

Chip Sutphin

Mary Jo Catlett

Rosemary Ackerman

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Synopsis

A seemingly perfect wife and mother (Kathleen Turner) from Baltimore gains celebrity status as a serial killer.

Director: John Waters
Producer: John Fiedler, Mark Tarlov
Screenwriter: John Waters
Distributor: BMG Video, Home Box Office Home Video
Production Co: Savoy Pictures, Polar Entertainment Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 13, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.8M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround, Stereo

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