The horror film “Other Mommy” topped the North American box office this weekend, grossing $27.5 million in its debut. The performance significantly outpaced that of “The Social Reckoning,” which entered the fifth position with a disappointing $5.5 million opening.
Despite receiving some of the year’s lowest critical scores, “Other Mommy” exceeded industry expectations. Produced by Universal and Blumhouse, the campy thriller stars Jessica Chastain as a sinister, double-jointed doppelgänger. The film holds a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a “D+” grade from CinemaScore audiences, a mark even lower than last weekend’s flop “Digger,” which earned a “C+.” While such reception typically signals poor longevity, the film’s modest $18 million budget provides a strong financial cushion. It has already earned $17.69 million internationally, bringing its global total to $45.19 million.
Box office analyst David A. Gross noted that while horror films often survive negative reviews, the reception for this entry was extreme. “Business is going to drop sharply,” Gross predicted.
Meanwhile, “The Social Reckoning” faces an uphill battle against poor word-of-mouth. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the R-rated drama about a Facebook whistleblower starring Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White was projected to open between $7 million and $8 million. Even that estimate would have fallen far short of the original “The Social Network,” which debuted 16 years ago with $22 million. Critics and audiences offered mixed reactions, with the film holding a 54% Rotten Tomatoes score and a “B-” CinemaScore. The audience skewed older and male, a demographic that has been slower to return to cinemas post-pandemic.
The studio has attempted to distance the new film from David Fincher’s acclaimed 2010 hit, which starred Jesse Eisenberg and earned $224 million globally along with four Academy Awards, including one for Sorkin’s screenplay. Described as a “companion piece” rather than a sequel, “The Social Reckoning” carried a $30 million budget compared to the original’s $40 million.
“The production cost was reasonable,” Gross said, “But it’s still a lot of money to recoup at these box office levels.”
Elsewhere on the charts, “Digger” suffered a steep decline, dropping 64% to earn $2.9 million from 3,321 theaters in its second weekend. The Tom Cruise satire has totaled $14 million domestically and $30 million globally against a production cost exceeding $160 million, positioning it as one of the year’s biggest financial disasters with potential theatrical losses surpassing $200 million. In response, high-profile figures including Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Guillermo del Toro, and Mandy Patinkin have publicly defended the film and urged audiences to support it in theaters.
In second place, the psychological thriller “Verity” earned $11.4 million from 3,572 theaters, also down 64% from its opening weekend. Starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, the film is considered a success for Amazon MGM, having grossed $53 million domestically and over $80 million worldwide against a $40 million budget.
Universal and Blumhouse know exactly what they are doing. Low budget, high scare factor, and zero pretense. They won again.
I honestly didn’t know about the David Fincher connection until reading this article. Is this really just a companion piece or a cash grab?
Digger losing over $200 million is insane. That budget was completely out of control for a Tom Cruise vehicle that clearly bombed.
Wait, a D+ from CinemaScore? That is brutal. I guess ‘Other Mommy’ has some serious camp appeal despite the terrible reviews.
Another horror flick wins because people love cheap thrills over prestige. The Social Reckoning deserved better but Sorkin tried too hard.