Our Mother’s House

The seven Hook children live with their invalid mother in a dilapidated Victorian house in suburban London. The mother’s illness leads her to refuse medical help and turn to a fundamentalist faith, shaping the household's daily routine. The children assume the caregiver role from the start, bracing for an uncertain future.

The mother dies suddenly, leaving the children fearing separation and potential adoption. They decide to pretend she remains alive to preserve their normal lives and avoid disruption. They begin crafting excuses for neighbours and teachers about her absence.

That night, the children bury their mother in the backyard without anyone noticing. They convert the garden shed into a shrine and hold seances to communicate with her spirit, reinforcing their isolated world. The ritual marks a turning point as their deception deepens.

Elsa takes charge and coordinates the family’s cover story. The siblings dismiss their abrasive housekeeper, Mrs. Quayle, to maintain appearances. They maintain outward normalcy while quietly nursing their secret grief.

Elsa discovers that Jiminee can forge their mother's signature, enabling them to cash the trust fund cheques. They also learn there is £400 left in savings, giving the family some financial breathing room. The money strengthens Elsa's control and the illusion of normal life.

Some siblings want to contact their estranged father, but Elsa rejects the idea, echoing their mother's contempt. Hubert secretly keeps the father's address and later reveals the possibility of help. The plan is quietly quashed as Elsa clings to the lie.

Gerty innocently rides a stranger's motorbike, exposing the fragile boundary of their sealed world. The incident prompts Diana to seek guidance from their mother's spirit. The siblings respond by punishing Gerty and trying to control the information flow.

Diana consults the mother's spirit after Gerty's act, and the others denounce Gerty as a 'harlot'. They take away her comb and cut her hair, enforcing obedience. Gerty falls ill but eventually recovers without medical intervention.

Jiminee brings home Louis, a school friend, and Charlie arrives soon after, moving in with the family. The father begins taking them on outings and even buys a new car. Most children grow to trust him, though Elsa remains suspicious.

Charlie begins a relationship with Mrs. Quayle and starts spending freely, drinking and entertaining women in the house. He persuades Jiminee to sign documents without the others' knowledge and dismantles the garden shrine. The children's secret world begins to crumble.

An estate agent and a couple visit to inspect the house, blowing open the lid on Charlie's plans. Diana and Elsa realize that Charlie intends to sell the property and break up their home. They discover that Charlie has squandered virtually all of their mother's savings.

Charlie confronts the children and reveals their mother’s past and false paternity. He explains he has control of the property through forged signatures and that he intends to place them in care. In a fit of rage, Diana kills him with a poker.

The siblings debate whether to bury Charlie, but they decide to do the right thing: leave the house and turn themselves in to the authorities. They walk into the darkness together, stepping out from their inherited shrine into an uncertain future. The house and their secret world are left behind as they surrender.