This is a review for the 2023 movie “Mother’s Day”. This Polish action film, from Netflix, is an exciting (but silly) ride.
What is Mother’s Day about?
After giving birth, a mother realises that she cannot keep her baby safe from the criminal underworld that she is part of. To keep the child safe, she gives them away and goes into hiding. However, many years later – she finds herself dragged back into the action, when the child is kidnapped by a criminal gang. Now on a challenging rescue mission, she must form a bond with the child that she never got to see grow up. Sound familiar? It’s bizarre that Netflix managed to release two movies with the exact same plot, around the same time. Both Mother’s Day (2023) and The Mother (2023) share a lot in common.
That said, despite having the same premise – the two are very different movies. Mother’s Day sees itself more as a bonkers action movie; while The Mother slowed things down at points; to focus on the drama. While The Mother had dramatic conversations in cabins; Mother’s Day has action sequences where carrots are utilized as a weapon. It’s a fun romp.
Mother’s Day (2023) Review
There were moments while watching this movie where I found myself shaking my head, saying “this is the best movie I’ve ever seen”. A frankly ridiculous statement, that holds no truth, but I think captures how engrossing the fight sequences in this movie can be at times. Mateusz Rakowicz is the director of the film and isn’t somebody I’d heard of until now. There is a clear sense of style in this movie and the action sequences are fun and engaging. Rakowicz and the team blew those out of the park. The problem is that the movie isn’t just action sequences.
The drama in this movie falls flat and really contrasts the fun action sequences, in a bad way. Our main character Nina (Agnieszka Grochowska) is broody and uninteresting. It’s hard to compare scenes where she’s giving a dramatic performance to the sequences where she’s walloping men with carrots. The action sequences have a distinct style, but this style doesn’t carry over into the rest of the movie. This isn’t a fault on Grochowska, she does a fine job. It just doesn’t feel like the tone of the action matches the story that they’re telling, as if the two were just cut and paste from other stories.
Who should watch this movie?
If you enjoyed The Mother, then watch this, too – it’s better. However, if you hated The Mother; it’s not as significant of an upgrade to bring you over to the dark side. It’s a by-the-books action movie with some fun scenes, but dragged down by a rough plot and a tone mismatch. It’s probably more worth your time to just search for an action scene compilation.
This was a review for the 2023 Netflix movie “Mother’s Day”. Did you find this movie thrilling, or was it just another Netflix let-down? Let us know in the comments below.