Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad

Year: 2018

Runtime: 86 min

Language: english

Director: Brian Taylor

Echo Score: 57

Budget: $7M

ThrillerHorror

When a strange event causes parents to turn on their children, a quick-thinking teenager finds herself responsible for protecting her younger sibling. They must navigate a terrifying landscape as they try to survive against the violent attacks of their own parents, struggling to find safety and uncover the cause of the widespread chaos.

Mom and Dad (2018) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Mom and Dad (2018) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In a seemingly ordinary suburban neighborhood, the rhythm of everyday life is built on routine—school runs, family dinners, and the quiet grievances that linger beneath polite conversations. The setting feels comfortable at first glance, yet an undercurrent of unease hints that the veneer of normalcy might crack at any moment. The film’s tone blends heightened suspense with a stark, almost clinical horror, casting familiar domestic spaces in a chilling new light.

At the heart of the story is Carly, a quick‑thinking teenager whose strained relationship with her parents fuels both rebellion and responsibility. She shares her home with her younger brother Josh, a kid whose constant chatter both irritates and grounds her. Their father, Brent, wrestles with the pressures of work and fatherhood, while their mother, Kendall, tries to keep the family afloat amid growing disconnection. Adding to the mix, Carly’s boyfriend Damon provides a glimpse of teenage hope, and her best friend Riley offers a loyal confidante. The family’s underlying tensions create a fragile equilibrium that could tip with the slightest disturbance.

Everything changes when an inexplicable, static‑filled signal sweeps across televisions and radios, altering the behavior of parents everywhere. The phenomenon turns the most trusted protectors into unpredictable threats, thrusting Carly into the role of guardian for Josh. As the world outside frays, the duo must navigate a landscape where familiar faces become menacing, and every hallway echoes with the promise of danger. The film leans heavily into atmospheric dread, using the sudden inversion of parental roles to amplify fear.

Against this backdrop of chaotic paranoia, the story follows Carly’s desperate attempt to shield her brother and uncover whatever force has upended the community’s sanity. The tension builds not through explicit violence but through the relentless uncertainty of who can be trusted, leaving the audience perched on the edge of a nightmarish, yet eerily relatable, reality.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 02:49

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The narrative pattern involves a sudden, violent shift in a familiar environment, forcing characters to fight for their lives against those closest to them. The journey is a linear, desperate escape from a threat that is deeply personal and psychologically devastating.

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Narrative Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Mom and Dad

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