Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Rob Savage, ‘Other Mommy‘ follows a dysfunctional family as they try to deal with an entity that defies human logic in the eeriest of ways. In line with the fear of the uncanny valley, this entity has the power to mimic a human form, while simultaneously twisting, bending, and realigning it in increasingly novel and scary ways. When a young girl named Bela begins to see this entity in the form of her mother, she initially assumes it to be a friend, even calling her Other Mommy. However, as each day passes, this dynamic grows stranger, until it becomes apparent that Other Mommy is here for a different, more evil purpose. Its primary ways of imposing terror involve a substantial amount of body horror, some of which feel too impossible to be pulled off without a cinematic trick or sleight of hand.
Jessica Chastain and a Team of Stunt Artists Make Other Mommy’s Contortions Possible
While Jessica Chastain performs some of her own contortions in ‘Other Mommy,’ she does not handle all the creature’s physical movements herself. Instead, a team of stunt artists works with Chastain to bring some of the scariest sequences in the film to life, with a VFX team likely adding the finishing touches. For instance, one of the film’s best-known scenes, the under-the-table jump scare, is mostly Chastain performing the stunts herself, with some help from the team. In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, she attributed her abilities to her longstanding yoga practice, which she has maintained since she was 20. She also recalled director Rob Savage being surprised by her flexibility after seeing her casually get into an unusual yoga position, and it’s these very skills that help her ace the role.
Being physically capable of such elaborate stunts is merely one half of the puzzle, though, as Rob revealed that they organized an entire movements team to map out the contortion and body-horror sequences. Some of the biggest contributions came from stunt artists, with Chastain emphasizing the work of a particularly tall performer named Hailey, whom she estimated to be around 6 feet 7 inches. On top of that, Hailey wore stilts for some of her sequences, which is how the film is able to practically capture some of Other Mommy’s most impossible-looking movements.
Jessica Chastain Played With Body Tension to Give Other Mommy a Unique Feel
For Jessica Chastain and the stunt team to seamlessly coordinate their performances, an elaborate setup was required, as the actor described while speaking to Entertainment Tonight. The first step would usually involve a regular rehearsal in which Chastain acted out the sequences with her co-stars. Following this, Hailey and the other artists would stand in and perform stunt work, with Chastain speaking out her lines. The third step involved Chastain performing her scenes separately, after which the VFX team integrated her face and performance into the larger mesh. In a way, this also fits into the supernatural tint of these sequences, as they are all about defying logic and playing up the uncanny valley effect, which is where the blend of practical and digital effects comes in.
Beyond the stunts, Chastain’s physical contribution also extends to the way she portrays Other Mommy’s unnatural imitation of Ursula. Rather than relying solely on facial expressions, the actor deliberately introduced tension throughout her body while filming, particularly around the tendons in her neck, to make the entity appear uncomfortable inhabiting a human form. Speaking to PORTER, she explained the thought process behind this approach, saying, “I thought, ‘What if it’s painful to hold the shape of Ursula?’” To that end, the uncanny expressions and unsettling gaze that have come to define Other Mommy in pop culture owe a lot to Chastain’s ability to add layers to a character.
Read More: Other Mommy Ending Explained: Is Other Mommy Still Alive? Will She Come Back?
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