The upcoming horror film features Chastain as a demon impersonating a mother and trying to steal her daughter’s soul; its disturbing trailer has drawn tens of millions of views, inspired memes and startled audiences at screenings of ‘The Odyssey’Omer Tessel‏|Imagine this: A mother comes home from work earlier than expected and surprises her daughter with lunch. On the menu is pasta, the girl’s favorite dish.Charming enough, until it becomes clear that the woman is not the child’s mother at all, but a demon wearing an extraordinarily convincing disguise and threatening to consume her soul.That is the premise introduced in the trailer for “Other Mommy,” a new horror film already disturbing viewers months before its theatrical release.Jessica Chastain stars as both the mother and, apparently, the demon impersonating her. Judging by the footage released so far, the Oscar-winning actress delivers an unnerving performance.The trailer’s most frightening moment comes after Chastain’s demonic character smiles at the girl and asks a simple but deeply unsettling question: “Can I go inside your heart?”She then contorts into a spider-like form without warning.The moment is so abrupt that even the father in the film jumps in terror, followed by many viewers. Images from the scene have since inspired a wave of humorous and disturbing memes online.Other Mommy (Photo: Screenshot from YouTube)The film was directed by Rob Savage, whose previous horror credits include 2020’s “Host” and 2023’s “The Boogeyman.” It is based on the 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House,” which readers have described as one of the genre’s most frightening recent works.“Other Mommy” is scheduled to reach theaters on October 9.Within days of its online release, the trailer had accumulated approximately 26 million views on YouTube and another 30 million on X.It has generated excitement among viewers eager for unsettling new material, while also prompting criticism from users who noted similarities to the dark 2009 animated film “Coraline.”The campaign has also reached audiences beyond dedicated horror fans.In the United States, the trailer is being shown before screenings of Christopher Nolan’s much-discussed epic “The Odyssey,” exposing it to the large crowds attending the film in theaters.Some viewers were not prepared for what they saw.“Everyone who watched the ‘Other Mommy’ trailer before ‘The Odyssey’ lost their minds from fear,” one user wrote on X.TikTok users warned others that they would likely jump during the trailer’s most startling moment, while some called on theaters to display a warning before showing it.The attention surrounding “Other Mommy” comes during a particularly strong period for horror cinema.Films such as the Oscar-winning “Sinners” and “Weapons” have demonstrated that audiences remain hungry for frightening stories, while critical recognition and major awards have increasingly followed commercial success.The low-budget hit “Obsession” offered another striking example. Made for approximately $750,000, the second film by former YouTuber Corey Barker tells an apparently simple story about a young man who wishes that the woman he loves would love him more than anyone else.The film became a global sensation, earning about $458 million and ranking as the sixth-highest-grossing horror film of all time.Its relatable premise and intense online discussion created the kind of marketing phenomenon distributors dream of.“Backrooms,” another film rooted in an internet phenomenon and directed by young YouTuber Kane Parsons, also became a major success, earning more than $350 million.The team behind “Other Mommy” appears to be pursuing a similar path by allowing online excitement to build ahead of its release.The film combines a universal fear, a mother unable to protect her daughter from danger inside what should be the safest place, with an acclaimed actress, striking imagery and a wave of social media attention that shows no signs of fading.The remaining question is whether “Other Mommy” will turn its terrifying trailer into a monstrous box-office success.