By DEIRDRE CRIMMINS
Starring Hannah Lynch, Yvette Parsons and Arlo Green
Written and directed by Thunderlips
XYZ Films
There is no such thing as a “normal” relationship with one’s mother. Even the bleached, saccharine versions shown on 1960s sitcoms would lead to the need for extensive therapy in adulthood. MUM, I’M ALIEN PREGNANT might be a hilarious look at what happens when a woman gets, well, alien pregnant, but it is also a look at motherhood in all its iterations. It’s silly and sweet, sticky and stomach-churning—a truly disgusting delight from the New Zealand filmmaking duo Thunderlips (a.k.a. Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor).
In the film, a Canadian premiere at the current Fantasia International Film Festival, the aptly named Mary (Hannah Lynch) lives at home with her mother Cynthia (Yvette Parsons). Mary seems to have no aspirations in life, including not showering, working or contributing to society in any way. She sure does love to masturbate to graphic anime tentacle porn, though. Cynthia has absolutely no boundaries and never seems to mind her business or believe in modest pajamas. They are quite the pair.
New neighbors Ann and Boo are quite the pair too. Ann (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS’ Jackie van Beek, in an uncharacteristic turn as a demure character) keeps to herself and doesn’t pry. Son Boo (Arlo Green) spends nearly all of his time in his room with the door locked, enjoying activities that make the electricity in their house surge and retreat, flickering lights and kitchen mixers. In a late-night chance meeting in the laundry room of their apartment complex, Boo casually reveals to Mary that he is not only part alien, but has the kind of otherworldly genitals she fetishizes. One thing leads to another, and in a goopy and unsexy manner, Mary gets…alien pregnant.
Much of the rest of the film consists of hilarious encounters with Mary’s rapidly progressing extraterrestrial gestation and discovering all of the unexpected ways this extraterrestrial baby wreaks havoc on her body. It would be difficult to overstate how disgusting and riotous these physical trials are. Blue vomit, misshapen squirting breasts and slime of unnatural colors issuing from natural places are part of every stage poor Mary goes through. She was enjoying her lazy, aimless existence before getting thrown into this state of being without her permission.
On a more serious level, there is a thread throughout her encounters with inept doctors and unprepared EMTs that rings true to how women are treated in the medical system. While it is funny to see these professionals essentially ignore Mary’s concerns and go about their procedures without really listening to her, there is a glimmer of reflection on what actually happens to women when met with real physical issues. This is by no means the first time all these people have ignored women, but it might be the first time they are ignoring a woman who is pregnant with an alien.
Throughout it all, Cynthia tries to support Mary in any way she can, but in her own style. This means asking too many questions, blatantly ignoring physical boundaries and being there for Mary when she really needs her mum. Conversely, Ann must finally muster up some courage to get Boo involved in the situation. Hiding in his room is no longer an option, and Ann ramps up her parenting to get Boo to do the right thing.
Scale Studios’ practical effects in MUM, I’M ALIEN PREGNANT are downright delightful. The body horror is more ooey-gooey and sticky than bloody or visceral, and there are plenty of opportunities to show us through these effects just what Mary is going through in her insides. The casting and chemistry do a lot of heavy lifting throughout the film to get the audience invested in what happens next. While no character here is perfect, the mothers are doing their best to protect and support their children, no matter how flawed their maternal instincts may be.
