The Fentanyl addiction crisis is genuine, but unlike this film’s inspiration for its story, this situation is portrayed very poorly. Despite the movie’s solid cast, The Good Mother suffers from poor writing and comes across as a rushed production. The undercooked script does a great disservice to what this movie aspires to accomplish, but the result comes across as a colossal dud.
Hilary Swank stars as Marissa Bennings, a widowed mother of two sons still recovering from the untimely loss of her husband. While barely making it through a workday in Albany, New York, Marissa discovers from her police officer son (Jack Reynor) that her youngest son has been killed in the streets by an unknown assailant. While not surprised, as her baby son has had problems with drug addiction and a history of drug dealing, she is nevertheless disturbed by the mystery surrounding his death. Inspired by her daughter-in-law’s (Olivia Cooke) desire to uncover this mystery, she begins to use her skills as a journalist to investigate the matter.
Written and directed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, who co-wrote the movie with Madison Harrison, The Good Mother fails to make a compelling case for all the characters involved in this story. These characters are so poorly developed that it is difficult to empathize with them and their struggles. While the director has a good sense of style in presenting the story, the affair could be more exciting and exciting. The audience needs to understand who these people are supposed to be, especially with the main protagonist, Marissa.
Hilary Swank performs solidly but is held back by the limitations of the writing. While her expressions and lack of a dynamic range of emotions, one can see the crushing impact her life (so far) has affected her. However, we never get an accurate representation of the person she once was and why she is supposed to be a “Good Mother.”
The same goes for the other cast members, who try their best given the screenplay’s problems. I like every one of these actors (regarding their acting chops), but this movie doesn’t allow them to shine in any dynamic ways.
The movie has a supposed surprise twist, but it is easy to figure out. At the conclusion, the film ends ambiguously, which adds to the frustration of this futile experience. The Good Mother is not a good movie; therefore, it is one I cannot recommend in any shape or form. It has a solid story and film idea but doesn’t have the desired emotional impact.