Another horror movie written by, directed by, and starring John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser, Mother Of Flies is another interesting use of the genre to explore something a bit more thought-provoking and relevant than some of your more straightforward fright flicks. The Adams Family, as they are often affectionately known, excel in using their limited resources and budgets to present something that has a bounty of ideas to make up for the relative lack of polish. Let's not be unfair to them though, they're also bloody good when it comes to the technical side of things.
John and Zelda play Jake and Mickey, a father and daughter who are on a journey to visit a witch (Solveig, played by Poser). This is all to do with a medical diagnosis that Mickey has received, one that doesn't give her a very good chance of survival, and she decides that she may as well give something else a go, something other than science and medicine that may simply postpone the inevitable.
While describing and discussing Mother Of Flies, there doesn't seem to be that much to it. My plot summary covers everything well enough, although we also get some backstory about Solveig and her place in the local area, and there aren't really any big shocks or surprises, despite some effectively unnerving imagery used here and there to show the ongoing cycle of life and death, as well as the battle between good health and various ailments. It feels more substantial when you're watching it though, and not just because it is based on the real experiences that the family have had with cancer throughout the past few decades. While horror can entertain, while it can make you tense and scared, while it can have you impressed by gore gags and fun kill scenes, it also provides a fantastic backdrop for many conversations that we should strive to make less discomforting for ourselves. Death is never far away in horror movies, of course, but it's good to take the more fantastical elements of the genre and juxtapose it alongside the everyday pains and horrors that so many endure in their lifetimes, either inside themselves or while helping loved ones.
I don't think anyone here is at the top of their acting game, certainly not in comparison to some big names who would never do this kind of thing nowadays anyway, but they have the bonus of being a family unit who can act around one another in a way that lacks any nerves or self-consciousness. Poser gets to have the best moments, which tends to happen when you play a witch known for your witchy ways, but all three leads to a decent job.
There's also another very good selection of music here, also from the family, and, overall, this is yet another worthwhile genre film that rewards those who have (like myself) decided to try and keep up with every feature that these talented creatives put out there. It's not quite up there with their very best, but it's absolutely one to make time for. You might even spend some time after the end credits have rolled considering what beliefs are generally supported by the masses and what aren't, and what difference that really makes to those who live their lives with enough personal faith to ignore whatever others say about them.
7/10
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