I never expected Troma to make something like this; Trmoa has a reputation for its low-budget horror and personally I really enjoyed The Toxic Avenger, Redneck Zombies and The Children. This unofficial sequel to the 1956 horror film The Bad Seed went way beyond my expectations, and it even stars Patty McCormack, who played Rhoda Penmark in The Bad Seed.
It's the 1990's, and Jessica Ann is a little girl doing exceptional in school, has a loving aunt... but there's one catch, her controlling and obsessive mother, known only as "Mommy", has come to visit Jessica Ann's favorite teacher because the top student award was given to a Hispanic kid rather than Jessica Ann. Jessica tries to convince Mommy that her classmate deserved the medal, but Mommy refuses to listen to reason, ultimately leading to the teacher's death. Soon Jessica recalls her "Daddy" who died, as well as kind old Mr. Sterling, who was her stepfather until he willed all his cash to Mommy... and then died. It isn't long before the school janitor is murdered and Jessica Ann realizes that Mommy might be more than just her mother.
At first I wasn't sure that this was a Troma movie, although the brief shot of a chemical factory shown towards the end when Jessica Ann and Mommy rent a motel room vaguely reminded me of Troma's reputation for making movies on the subject of pollution. The acting, not only from Patty McCormack but from everyone else, was really amazing for an independent film, it's obviously low-budget but has great soundtrack and I loved seeing The Bad Seed's legacy being continued in a new film. Not everything low-budget is bad, watch it with an open mind and you might be really surprised.
It's the 1990's, and Jessica Ann is a little girl doing exceptional in school, has a loving aunt... but there's one catch, her controlling and obsessive mother, known only as "Mommy", has come to visit Jessica Ann's favorite teacher because the top student award was given to a Hispanic kid rather than Jessica Ann. Jessica tries to convince Mommy that her classmate deserved the medal, but Mommy refuses to listen to reason, ultimately leading to the teacher's death. Soon Jessica recalls her "Daddy" who died, as well as kind old Mr. Sterling, who was her stepfather until he willed all his cash to Mommy... and then died. It isn't long before the school janitor is murdered and Jessica Ann realizes that Mommy might be more than just her mother.
At first I wasn't sure that this was a Troma movie, although the brief shot of a chemical factory shown towards the end when Jessica Ann and Mommy rent a motel room vaguely reminded me of Troma's reputation for making movies on the subject of pollution. The acting, not only from Patty McCormack but from everyone else, was really amazing for an independent film, it's obviously low-budget but has great soundtrack and I loved seeing The Bad Seed's legacy being continued in a new film. Not everything low-budget is bad, watch it with an open mind and you might be really surprised.