Shubhabrata Dutta
The tapestry of love between a mom and her son is carefully woven with sacrifice, compromise, and understanding. Mother-son relationships can have their own cinematic universe, with different variants of both characters coming together to serve a higher purpose. However, the relationship comes with its own fair share of complexities, heartwarming moments, and shattering revelations. Here, we bring you the best mom-son movies available on Hulu, each of which explores one among the many forms of this relationship.
5. The Desperate Hour (2021)
In Phillip Noyce’s ‘The Desperate Hour,’ a jog deep in the woods takes a dramatic turn for Amy Carr (Naomi Watts), a single mom who comes to know that her son’s school has been subjected to a shooting. All the interactions in the film occur via her phone as she reaches out to different people and enquires about her son, frantically trying to find out how the situation is until a grave possibility shakes her to the core. Watts does a good job of showing the tension and urgency of a mother worried about her child but has no idea how or in what position the latter is. The film also effectively establishes the fear of a school shooting. Overall, ‘The Desperate Hour’ is a good watch that you can find here.
4. All That We Destroy (2019)
Directed by Chelsea Stardust, ‘All That We Destroy’ offers a rare perspective of a mother-son relationship. It revolves around geneticist Dr. Victoria Harris (Samantha Mathis), who finds out that her son, Spencer (Israel Broussard), has killed a woman and might just be a serial killer in the making. To curb his killer instincts, she starts making clones of the woman he killed. This way, Spencer can kill the same person again and again without really killing anyone. Will this help Spencer heal, or will Victoria have to take the “help” of her new neighbor, Marissa (Dora Madison)?
While the film is a sci-fi thriller at the outset, it is underscored by a peculiar mother-son relationship that is potentially dangerous yet compelling. A mom trying to help her son deal with his nature while covering for his crime induces a strong dichotomy that provides a sadistic satisfaction. Overall, a gripping watch, ‘All That We Destroy’ can be streamed here.
3. Prayers for Bobby (2009)
Based on the book of the same name by Leroy F. Aarons, ‘Prayers for Bobby’ is a powerful drama that tells the true story of a staunch Christian woman, Mary Griffith, and her gay son, Bobby Griffith, who killed himself in 1983 after Mary denied accepting him and tried to “cure” him. The guilt of her son’s death eventually led her to renounce her rigid religious beliefs and become a gay rights activist.
Sigourney Weaver shines as Mary Griffith, masterfully showcasing the mother’s traits and transformation. Ryan Kelley, too, does a commendable job as Bobby, who struggles with himself while trying to make his mother understand how he feels. Directed by Russell Mulcahy, ‘Prayers for Bobby’ won the Favorite Narrative Film award at the 2009 Seattle Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Audience Appreciation Award. You can watch the film here.
2. Ride the Eagle (2021)
Trent O’Donnell’s comedy-drama ‘Ride the Eagle’ centers on Leif, a man in or around the 40s, who loses his estranged mom to cancer. She had left him when he was 12 and has left her Yosemite cabin for him as a last resort to mend things. However, much to his vexation, there is a to-do list he has to take care of if he wants to claim the cabin. His experiences as he moves from one task to another make ‘Ride the Eagle’ a unique and humorous story about a man getting over self-isolation and finding his place in the world. With a moving performance by Jake Johnson as Leif, ‘Ride the Eagle’ is a must-watch movie about a mom-son relationship that transcends death. You can watch it here.
1. Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, Justine Triet’s ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is a compelling legal drama that is no less than a study of a mother-son relationship. When Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her husband, Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis), their son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) — who is partially blind owing to an accident — becomes the sole witness. The conflicted accounts of Sandra and Daniel, along with the autopsy report, lead to a case that inherently explores a rare mother-son dynamic that results from their separate predicaments as well as mutual love. You can watch the film here.
Read More: Best Mom Son Movies on Netflix
