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Perry Benson, Dido Miles, Olga Fedori, Ainsley Howard, Toby Alexander

Stranded at work and with no hope of getting home, airport cleaning woman Lena accepts an invitation to spend the night with her perky colleague Birdie, only to find that her unusually close-knit fami... read more read more...ly has some sinister secrets. Writer/director Steven Shiel makes his feature directorial debut with this distinctly British shocker. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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47% liked it

1,864 ratings

Critics

78% liked it

9 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Steven Sheil

Release Date: August 26, 2008

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DVD Release Date: May 5, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (370)

  • WrenchLT
    August 12, 2011
    WrenchLT
    Yet another 'demented family' movie, this time from Britain where a 50-something couple and their adopted son and daughter kidnap a female Polish immigrant and try to add her to their sick household. It's pretty good, nothing too original or groundbreaking and certainly not "the ... read morebest UK horror of the last decade" as said by gorezone magazine. It does manage to be a little disturbing and the family do come across genuinely unpleasant. There's a bit of gore and torture but nothing too graphic or disgusting. Well acted too, which is something British actors excel at no matter what the genre. Definitely a wothwhile watch, but nothing outstanding.
  • kiriyamakazou
    February 20, 2010
    kiriyamakazou
    The real life events of the likes of Joseph Fritzl make a film like this surprisingly believable. Mum & Dad may not be pushing the boundaries of taste, nor is it anything new or shocking, but it does what it can on it's budget. It also has a few sly punches at the disgustingly wo... read morerking class Brits. The Royle Family meets Hostel. The Christmas scene and the petty squabbles, are little comedic moments that suggest this film could have gone for all out satire. The acting is mostly of British-drama-TV caliber, so it's bearable, but not enough for what the film wants to achieve.
  • romy861
    January 20, 2010
    romy861
    Really horrible movie, gory,,, just... yuck. Good for a low budget film, and acting is good, particularly the actress who plays Birdie. Disturbing how normal she plays that role. LOL. I couldn't recommend this because it is pretty gruesome and horrible, but I'm sure anyone who... read more likes stuff like Saw (which I personally can't stand) and Hostel would be all over this.
  • SirPant
    November 25, 2009
    SirPant
    This is a nasty and disturbing film, brilliantly realised as just that but it lacks a certain credibility. It's like a clean cut 70's Exploitation film but just 40 years too late. This might be the future of horror but it needs to be more convincing, otherwise it's a little too m... read moreuch to stomach and someone should have a word with Mr. Sheil's parents! Still, I have to give this film credit, it packs a punch and shouldn't go unnoticed.
  • creepfreak
    August 19, 2009
    creepfreak
    Sickening and repulsive low budget horror film. Silly at times, but always disturbing. Takes you deep into the filth and dark corridors in the life of a true psychopathic family. It's sad to imagine that this is how some crazy people really live. Mum & Dad may be a hard movie to ... read morestomach, but I loved it! I highly recommend this to true hardcore horror fans.

  • drblood
    August 5, 2009
    drblood
    Jesus wept! I just watched this movie after getting it from Netflix and it was brutal!!!!!
    Now I've seen a lot of horror movies in my time but nothing prepared me for what was probably the closest thing we'll ever get to a movie version of mass murderers Fred and Rosemary West.
    I... read more'm not ashamed to admit that my heart was pounding all the way through because of the tension. I was totally empathizing with the Polish Girl (Lena/Angel). In fact, it got so bad I thought I was going to have a heart attack!
    I couldn't wait for the tables to be turned and the most satisfying ending that I've seen for a long time. Admittedly I would have liked to have seen a bit more and watch Lena get some really good cosmetic surgery to repair all her scars but, as it was, it was satisfying enough.
    I expect a lot of people might be put off by the British accents and be on titter alert at the "commonness" of the "family" but it all worked for me in a completely serious way. It's no "dark comedy" and it's a lot more than a Brit "torture porn" version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It's realistic and believable.
    I have to give it 10 out of 10. I recommend you rent or buy this right now. If you are at all squeamish then just rent it because you will never want to watch this again afterwards.
    I'm still buzzing from the shock of seeing more evil on screen than there even was in "Martyrs". This is the best British horror film ever!
  • gor41
    January 25, 2009
    gor41
    Grisly Brit horror which goes nowhere but creates an effectively disturbing home environment.
  • rodriguesmatthew
    January 13, 2011
    rodriguesmatthew
    I don't particularly enjoy films like this, and found myself watching it rather by accident. Within a minute it was clear that this was not going to be a rewarding and enjoyable cinematic experience, but in the interest of watching a British horror film and expanding my filmic ho... read morerizons slightly, I elected to watch until the end.

    Horror films come in all different sizes and flavors. Gore, ghosts, werewolves, suspense, torture and whatnot. Steven Sheil's Mum & Dad, is a little different though. Rather than hit the audience with full-frontal ugliness it gambles on weirdness and plays the freak card. Though some might call it another variation on the crazy family theme, (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) it does contain a more realistic feel. One thing about horror flicks is that you can often derive a lot from the title of the film. The cooler and tougher it sounds, the softer it usually is. And so you have to admit, Mum & Dad leaves a good solid base for some slick and freaky horror fun. Central to the film are both characters referenced in the title. Mum and Dad might look like ordinary people from the outside; they certainly are a little different from your regular household setup. The fun starts when one of their children drags in a Polish immigrant girl (Olga Fedori) who gets "integrated" into the family. It quickly starts to dawn that mum and dad are not as ordinary as they seemed at first and off you go for a good sixty minutes of weirdness. It plays on equal levels of awkwardness, grit and humor which make for a pretty compelling viewing. As much as you are repulsed, you can't take your eyes off the screen.

    "Mum & Dad" is obviously a low budget affair and even though Sheil does his best to conceal this fact, from time to time it does look its budget. Visually there are interesting shots and sequences but the overall effect remains pretty inconsistent, with some rather amateurish shots in between. Same goes for the soundtrack of the film. Some dark ambient background music and good use of sound effects, but it never really gels into an audiovisual trip. Luckily mum and dad (played by Dido Miles and Perry Genson) have pretty good acting techniques, making the film a lot more watchable. Their appearance alone, especially dads, gives the film a pretty twisted feel. Fat English accents and an overly greasy facade only add more flair to the family. Both daughter and son are nice additions too, adding their share of weirdness to the whole setup.

    While the level of gore is not noteworthy the film is pretty damn filthy in its own right. The creepiness of the family creates a bigger punch for what is actually shown on screen. Add some nicely built up tension near the end and what you have is a pretty well-ordered little horror flick that is sure to compel and repulse at the same time. In the end, enjoyable isn't the word I'd apply to my overall impression of the Mum & Dad, but, this was a job well done, and worth a watch despite the horrific subject matter. Just expect to feel like shit afterwards.

    Story: C
    Acting: B+
    Direction: B
    Visuals: C+
    Overall: C+

    **1/2 out of 4 stars
  • HenrikSchunk
    July 26, 2010
    HenrikSchunk
    To be honest, the primary reason why is was interested in this movie was the fact that it is a British movie. I did not take too many films to immunize me against torture porn for good, so this was a return to old habits and while the movie is a tad more quirky and original, ther... read moree is not much going on apart from the interesting premise which runs dry rather quick. The Britishness and low budget are a blessing in disguise and the sets, costumes and actors are refreshingly unrefined and thus more real. There is not as much "gore" as one would expect from the synopsis but also more subtle horror than one would expect. The film never crosses any lines and steers clear of any sexual or violent innuendo that would have the rating skyrocket into space.
  • lovecyn4ever
    June 6, 2009
    lovecyn4ever
    Mum & dad is a well done low budget film,with few gory & nasty scenes.Not much of a story ,& is a film that doesn't bring nothing new to the table.So many films done in the USA about a psycho family that gets pleasure by torturing others.This British film is far from being one of... read more the goriest & most shocking in this genre,if that's what the director attempts to do,just making a shocking film.Decent performances by the leading actors,which their characters can get annoying at times & there was few disgusting scenes.Normally these type of films score points getting closer to the ending,but the ending fails to come up with anything shocking or special.I'm sure there's an audience who will enjoy this twisted flick.Is a short film that goes at a fast pace,so didn't get bored.

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Critic Reviews

Leslie Felperin
October 18, 2008
Leslie Felperin, Variety

Despite droll moments and impressive production values for an allegedly tiny ($200,000) budget, an extra idea or two would have made this a little bit better than just OK. Full Review

Anton Bitel
December 1, 2010
Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

riffs off The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but its setting in a house right under the flightpath of Heathrow Airport brings some peculiarly English shadings to the butcher's table. Full Review

Jeremy Heilman
July 6, 2009
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

There's not much to Mum & Dad, besides what needs to be there to achieve grisly effectiveness. What is most disturbing about it is the way that it captures and distorts the very dynamics that exist in... Full Review

Pete Hammond
May 7, 2009
Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine

Could [become] a cult item in the genre. Full Review

Rich Cline
January 1, 2009
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

This lean, mean British horror is just gonzo enough to overcome the limits of the formula and keep us entertained Full Review

Anton Bitel
December 16, 2008
Anton Bitel, Film4

Both a gruellingly tense survival horror and a darkly comic satire, Mum & Dad offers fresh meat to the cannibal family subgenre. Full Review

Matthew Turner
December 25, 2008
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon

Click to read the article Full Review

August 26, 2008
Empire Magazine

Click to read the article Full Review

Mike Barnard
August 26, 2008
Mike Barnard, Future Movies UK

Click to read the article Full Review

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Mum & Dad Trivia

  • Name that Movie? Alex: "Woo mum...." Mum: "Get back Alex" Alex: "I think its time to yell for dad now"  Answer »
  • In halloween name michael myers' parents' names. (take ? to mean you dnt no the name)  Answer »
  • in shrek where did fionas mum and dad live?  Answer »
  • which actor said this at an awards ceremony " er i wanna thank my mum and dad for doing it cos if they didnt i wouldnt be here to get this award"  Answer »
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