Summary

The Good Mother starts off as an interesting murder mystery with commentary on the fentanyl epidemic, but struggles to find a coherent direction. The script tries to explore themes of grief and new beginnings, but lacks character development and fails to commit to its ideas. The film barely scratches the surface of important conversations and ultimately falls short, despite the talent of its actors.

Editor’s note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

The year is 2016, during which fentanyl and other opioids have become some of the leading causes of drug overdose in Albany, NY. Michael Bennings (Madison Harrison) is a victim of drug abuse, though it isn’t directly what kills him in director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte’s opening sequence. Instead, Bennings is shot dead in the street during a drive-by. The beginning of The Good Mother sets itself up as an interesting murder mystery with a great deal to say about the fentanyl epidemic. But as the film progresses, it struggles to pick a lane that makes sense for its story and their characters. Though The Good Mother contains great talent like Hilary Swank and Olivia Cooke, the predictable formula holds it back from saying something meaningful.

Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank stars as Marissa Bennings, mother to the recently killed Michael and a journalist at the Times Union. This is now the second death Marissa has experienced in her family (the previous being her husband), and it slowly begins to take a toll on her work life and mental health. To cope, Marissa turns to alcohol while her other son Toby (Jack Reynor) buries himself with work as a local cop ready to solve his brother’s murder. But then there’s Paige (Olivia Cooke), Michael’s pregnant girlfriend who is adamant about her suspicions surrounding her lover’s death. When Marissa and Paige form an unlikely alliance to investigate Michael’s death, a world of corruption is revealed along with darker secrets.

Hilary Swank in The Good Mother

As with most murder mysteries, The Good Mother follows the general trend of identifying likely suspects early on. Through this, the script — by Madison Harrison and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte — attempts to unravel three distinct themes via the actions of its characters. The first is about the drug epidemic in the United States. Though the film never gets into detail, it provides a nice representation of the repercussions within this world. Swank’s Marissa, in particular, is forced to grieve her son while uncovering dark truths about him in the process. Unfortunately, that’s the extent of the script’s exploration on this. Even Marissa’s journalism background takes a back seat where it could have come in handy, resulting in a thriller that fails its own characters.

The screenplay is also structured like a character study centered around new beginnings and our inclination to process grief by running from it altogether. With Marissa, she either buries herself in alcohol or turns a blind eye to things right in front of her. Luckily, and thanks to Paige’s ongoing side investigations, The Good Mother rises above some of the limitations of the murder mystery genre. However, by the film’s end, you realize the character development is almost non-existent, or happen so abruptly that it’s difficult to determine what drove them to certain decisions. A more gradual approach to character changes would have benefited the film greatly.

Olivia Cooke and Hilary Swank in The Good Mother

Towards the later third of the film, it’s apparent that the screenplay wants us to recognize that ethics and morals are most often blurred when it comes to family. Had The Good Mother concentrated on this concept, the film could have been something special, recognized for more than just its predictable and formulaic storytelling. However, the inability to commit to its themes not only made the story uninteresting, but it limited the work of its actors as well. Swank and Cooke make a great pair onscreen and do all they can to elevate the more noteworthy components with respect to their characters’ actions. Yet, it’s never quite enough, leading to an unmemorable viewing experience.

For every interesting element and theme within this film, there is an equally disappointing one. The Good Mother barely scratches the surface of some important conversations, which made it hard to commit to the direction of the story, and understandably so. Even with the talented Swank and Cooke, nothing much comes from their growing relationship thanks to a script that doesn’t commit to its responsibilities with respect to storytelling. Ambiguity can sometimes make a film, leaving us the chance to imagine a creative outcome for the characters we have come to know. In the case of The Good Mother, however, the vagueness hurts it, resulting in a forgettable experience with no replay value.

The Good Mother releases in theaters on September 1. The film is 89 minutes long and rated R for language throughout, some violent content, and drug material.