Our Mother’s House

Set in the mid-to-late 1960s in suburban London, the film captures a moment when traditional family roles collide with creeping social change. The everyday rhythms of school, work, and neighborhood life contrast with the children’s secret economy and the mother’s religious rigidity. The era’s outward stability emphasizes the fragility of the children’s carefully constructed illusion.

The story unfolds in a dilapidated Victorian house tucked away in suburban London. The exterior presents a respectable, orderly life, while the interior reveals a family claustrophobically bound by ritual, secrecy, and hardship. The garden and back yard become a private world where the children’ s rituals and lies are kept safe from neighbors and authorities.

🗝️ Secrets

The plot centers on concealing the mother's death to keep the family together, turning secret-keeping into a lifestyle. Secrecy distorts reality, enabling small acts of rebellion to escalate into major moral crises. The children’ s lies shield them from external scrutiny while corroding trust among themselves.

💰 Survival

The siblings improvise a self-sufficient life after their mother’s death, forging signatures and managing money. The pressure to stay together exposes the fragility of their finances and the lengths they will go to protect their home. Their vigilance over money becomes as important as their loyalty to one another.

👑 Power dynamics

Elsa asserts control, while Charlie’s arrival disrupts the household’s balance. The hierarchy within the children and the intrusion of an outsider reveal how authority is negotiated under pressure. Trust fractures as new truths emerge and the family’s order is challenged.

🙏 Religion and indoctrination

The mother’s fundamentalist beliefs shape the children’ s behavior, with ritual and seances used to cope with loss. Religious devotion offers protection but also isolates the kids from real-world consequences. The tension between faith and practicality drives much of the drama.