A terminally ill woman and her father travel deep into the forest to stay with a witch who claims to have a cure.

There are bad movies. There are even movies that are so bad they’re good. And then, there is Mother of Flies.

This film currently boasts a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which means one of two things: a lot of recognized critics cannot be trusted or the “cutting room” staff should retire immediately. Well, we aren’t retiring.

The writing is weak, and the actors struggle to get a handle on the material; every line sounds forced and unnatural. While the cinematography offers a few interesting views, it isn’t enough to keep the film from feeling like a punishing middle school homework assignment for a “Gifted and Talented” class over a holiday weekend—difficult to understand and even tougher to write about.

Filmmakers who aim for this level of “high-brow art” often spend so much time cramming meaning and symbolism into every frame that the actual story gets lost. In this case, you may readily decide not to bother looking for it.

There is an audience for this type of work, and apparently, that crowd is a very influential group but horror fans looking for an engaging, well-acted and tightly wound story will not find it with Mother of Flies.

If you need something to do but can’t get a root canal appointment with your dentist, you can check out Mother of Flies on Shudder and AMC+.

No Stars