The Voices of Our Mother

“You’re mine and no one else’s” says a grating voice to a woman in a large burning house. This and the vague images of the creature will probably signal some recognition to regular watchers of horror films.

The death of grandmother Johanna (Anna Ferguson) and the ill health of her mother Harriet (Sheila McCarthy) force the rest of the family into a reunion. Brothers and sisters Martin (Alex Ozerov-Meyer), Annika (Georgina Reilly), William (Mark O'Brien), and Therese (Carolina Bartczak) all travel for an uneasy gathering.

From the off there’s a deep dislike of each other and it’s not long before it becomes clear that a past incident ruptured their relationship. From that the siblings developed their own problems. Mixed into this is the Catholic church and Father Roslovic (Shawn Doyle) and his hints of possession and exorcism. Something that adds to the mix is that Harriet is not quite at death’s door as the siblings had expected.

This is a family secrets and revelations melodrama with some elements of horror lobbed in. It’s fairly well balanced though it can at times look an uneasy mix.

The story is set-up well by writer and director Mark O’Brien. The premise isn’t that original and the dialogue could be hammy at times. As such the cast could come over as overwrought occasionally which gave the film an amdram feel. Having said that, there are times when they generate quite an intensity as in a sequence when they are being manipulated Harriet.

Where O’Brien is much more surefooted is technically having a good eye for gloomy settings and colours and the use of shadows and hues.

The Voices of Our Mother will be on Shudder from 19 June 2026.