A Mother’s Day Tribute to the Worst Moms in the Horror Genre

Alright, let’s be real, the horror genre has gifted us with some truly iconic maternal figures. By “iconic,” we often mean spectacularly terrible. Forget the heartwarming Mother’s Day cards and the sweet phone calls for these ladies. While they might not deserve a single daisy, they’ve definitely earned a spot in the annals of cinematic villainy. From the subtly manipulative to the outright monstrous, these mothers have scarred their children (and often the audience). So, let’s raise a glass (of maybe something stronger) to the truly awful moms of horror – the ones who make us seriously appreciate our own (hopefully less homicidal) maternal figures. We’ve compiled a list of some of the absolute worst to ever grace the silver screen, but we know there are more lurking in the shadows. So, after you’ve looked, tell us: which other nightmarish mothers deserve a place on this decidedly un-Mother’s Day tribute?

“Mum” (Elizabeth Moody) – Dead Alive

First, we’ve got the hilariously clingy Vera Cosgrove from Peter Jackson’s splatter masterpiece, Dead Alive. Poor Lionel is practically suffocating under his elderly and unbelievably overbearing mother’s thumb. Vera’s got a serious “my son, my property” vibe going on, so when Lionel starts getting googly-eyed over a sweet woman named Paquita, Vera throws a major wrench in their budding romance. Her obsessive spying ultimately leads to a truly bizarre and unfortunate incident involving a Sumatran rat-monkey, which, naturally, results in Vera’s death and rather lively (and undead) resurrection as a zombie. But even in death, Vera’s still calling the shots! Bless his timid heart, Lionel feels so indebted to his controlling mama that he tries to keep her existence a secret, leading to some of the most outrageously gory and side-splittingly funny situations you’ll ever see. Talk about a mother’s grip that just won’t quit!

Next, we have the OG of vengeful moms, Pamela Voorhees from Friday the 13th. This lady takes “devoted mother” to a new, blood-soaked level. After her precious Jason “drowns” at Camp Crystal Lake (while the counselors were, shall we say, preoccupied), Mrs. Voorhees decides the only way to right this wrong is to punish the teens she deems responsible violently. Even after the camp is shut down, her rage doesn’t cool. Years later, when someone dares to try and reopen the cursed grounds, Pamela unleashes another brutal rampage, determined to wipe out every single counselor so that Crystal Lake stays firmly closed. That, my friends, is a mother’s love with a machete.

Then there’s Margaret White from Carrie, a name that sends shivers down any horror fan’s spine. Carrie’s just trying to navigate the awkwardness of being a teenager, but her fanatically religious mother, Margaret, offers absolutely zero support. When Carrie has her first period, Margaret treats it like some kind of unholy sin! And let’s not forget the “prayer closet,” Carrie’s prison whenever Margaret decides she needs to atone for her “wickedness.” Their already toxic relationship completely implodes when Margaret freaks out over Carrie’s telekinetic powers, leading to a truly explosive and tragic showdown between mother and daughter. Talk about a mother who’s more concerned with damnation than development.

Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) – Evil Dead Rise

Moving into more modern maternal nightmares, we have Ellie from Evil Dead Rise. Now, wanting to be close to your kids is one thing, but telling them you want to slice them open and crawl inside their bodies so you can all be one big, happy, skin-crawling family? Yeah, that’s crossing a line – several lines. Ellie utters these truly horrifying words to her three terrified children after she’s taken a deep dive into the wonderful world of being a Deadite. Sure, you could argue it’s the nasty demon doing the talking, but from those kids’ perspective, their mother has become a bloodthirsty monster trying to kill them in the most gruesome ways imaginable. Forget bedtime stories; it’s all about body horror now.

We can’t forget the matriarch of mayhem herself, Mother Firefly from Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects. Now, Mother Firefly cares for her kids in her own special way. She protects them from outsiders, makes sure they’re (sort of) provided for, and is genuinely enthusiastic about their hobbies. The tiny little snag? Her kids’ hobbies involve torture, murder, and general sadistic mayhem. Mother Firefly didn’t just raise a brood of crazed killers; she’s their biggest cheerleader and often joins in on their “fun.” Talk about a supportive parent – just maybe not the kind you’d want to bring home for Mother’s Day brunch.