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Mother

2009 · Movie · R · 129 min · ★ 7.7 · 88% critics

CrimeDramaMystery

A mother lives quietly with her son until a young girl is brutally killed and her son is charged with the crime. Determined to prove his innocence, the mother launches her own investigation, putting her love and resolve to the test as the truth becomes harder to reach.

Also known as Mère

Where to watch

Watch free on Hoopla, Kanopy, The Roku Channel +3 more — also streaming on Philo, Magnolia Selects and Monsters and Nightmares.

2 hours to watch.

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Details
Original title
마더
Years
2009
Release date
2009-05-28
Language
Korean
Rated
R
Runtime
129 min
Critic score
88/100
TMDB rating
7.7/10 (1,686 votes)
Box office
$17,203,710
Budget
$5,000,000
About

If you enjoy tense Korean crime mysteries that mix dark humor with a relentless search for innocence, Mother may hook you—Not for you if you want a fast-paced, tightly streamlined thriller or if you prefer straightforward, less twisty plots like Memories of Murder.

Pros: gripping mystery; standout lead performance; dark humor | Cons: slow pacing; predictable twists; too long runtime

Themes

  • small town
  • mother
  • rice
  • golf
  • murder
  • teenage girl
  • misunderstanding
  • cell phone
  • drunk
  • disability
  • needle
  • drunkenness
  • +4 more

Awards & recognition

  • Asian Film AwardBest Film · 2010
  • Blue Dragon Film AwardBest film · 2009
  • International Submission to the Academy Awards · 2010 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Bong Joon Ho