If I wasn't such a fan of The Bad Seed I probably wouldn't have cared much for this movie or even never heard of it. Patty McCormack was awesome as the devilish Rhoda Penmark in the 1956 movie so I was curious what she would be like as mother in this unofficial sequel. Yes if we ignore the very last scene of the original Bad Seed movie, "Mommy" is believable as a sequel in which Rhoda has grown up into a mother with a daughter named Jessica Ann. It's nice to see how this movie refers to The Bad Seed in several ways. Mommy (she is never called by name) can't accept if her daughter doesn't win in a contest much like she little Rhoda couldn't deal with defeat. The penmanship medal from the Bad Seed is here replaced by a golden plaque. And yes mommy much like Rhoda eliminates anyone who is an obstacle in her (and her daughter's) way to fortune. That she probably killed her two previous husbands for their money is exactly how you expect Rhoda would have become as adult. The story is told mostly from the point of view of Jessica Ann telling us her feelings about her mother. She fears her yet loves her much like Christine in the Bad Seed felt towards her daughter. That Jessica Ann is a real sweet kid makes sense since this bad seed always skips a generation. Really enjoyable movie except for the ending that was a bit over the top.
Review of Mommy
