Mother of Flies
Written and directed by John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
Starring John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
Running time 1 hour and 32 minutes
Currently unrated by the MPA
Mother of Flies comes to Shudder some time in 2026
by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director
The Adams Family (with one 'D') may not be the household name that The Addams Family (two 'D's) is, but they have a much better track record when it comes to making me excited for their next movie. Parents John Adams and Toby Poser, and daughter Zelda Adams currently have five feature films under their belt--though John & Toby have other credits pre-dating their current configuration--as well as writing, performing and recording music as the band H6LLB6ND6R, which also features daughter Lulu Adams. Think of them as a spooky Partridge Family.
To me, the Adams clan ARE the Fantasia International Film Festival. Starting in 2021 with Hellbender, every Fantasia I've covered has had an Adams Family film screening or premiering at it, with this year's Fantasia Fest being no exception. Hellbender hooked me, and hard. A lonely teen (Zelda) pushes the boundaries of her sheltered life and slowly comes to realize the magical necessity of being so divorced from the wider world, all made with the style and aesthetic of an acid trip in a haunted wood. While follow-up features Where the Devil Roams (2023) and Hell Hole (2024) each had elements I enjoyed, their latest, the eerie slow burn Mother of Flies feels like a return to form in the best way.
Dropping the audience into events close enough to the story's beginning to draw you in, but still with enough occultation to keep you guessing, the film follows Mickey (Zelda) and her dad Jake (John) on a semi-impromptu road trip to meet Solveig (Toby), a solitary naturalist and healer who lives in a kind of harmony with nature. Her home is a tree house that's more tree than house, she claims not to eat aside from "...the air as I speak...", and when we are given insight into her POV, she speaks in poetry as though her entire life is an incantation.
The exact details of how and why Mickey has come to Solveig is the film's first mystery, but not an overly hearty one. Just when your creeping suspicions are proved correct, the focal mystery switches to exactly what is actually happening out there in the woods. The film's grandest narrative magic trick however, is making you focus so much on this facet that you ignore other mysteries unfolding right in front of you. This is supported by excellent direction, editing (by John), creative and well-realized visual effects (Trey Lindsay is credited with digital, John & Toby with practical & makeup), and of course, a moody and atmospheric score from the family band.
Watching this little tribe of creatives continue to evolve as a unit is the greatest treat for me. Where Hellbender felt very adolescent, with its skewed examination of young adulthood, Mother of Flies is much more mature with themes of mortality, belief, and motherhood. Zelda Adams especially has grown as an actor, and really digs deep here offering one true standout, emotionally raw scene. John Adams and Toby Poser play to what I think of as their strengths: Jake is a slightly no-nonsense dad who means well, but is in over his head and Solveig is a mystical cipher. Toby manages to convey and imply so much with just looks and the occasional verse of narration. It's a really captivating performance.
I think the Adams Family's films work best for me when they're making spooky, ghost story pictures and Mother of Flies is certainly that. The gorgeous cinematography accentuates the tranquility of the woods, heightening the disquieting undercurrent that hums underneath everything, allowing for scares that bloom before you like a dark flower rather jump out of the underbrush like a frightened animal. Though there are some truly visceral moments, none of them ever feels gratuitous and the film ultimately has something to say about the power and importance of faith.
Making a movie of any scale is an impressive endeavor, and even though the Adams' like to keep their productions pretty minimal, the fact that they've managed to Daffy Duck four films in five years (as well as other projects besides) is an admirable testament to their creative spirit. I hope they keep making films together for as long as they all want to, and I hope each flick invites more people to sit around the campfire.
