Film

Mom

Name: Mom
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Released: 2017
Cast: Sridevi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sajal Ali, Adnan Siddiqui, Akshaye Khanna

Other titles called Mom: the 2013 series (CBS).

A vigilante thriller centered on a mother's methodical revenge after her stepdaughter is sexually assaulted and the perpetrators escape justice. Sridevi commands the screen with quiet, simmering fury, transforming a stock revenge plot into something tenser and more psychologically complex. It's for anyone who wants to see a mature woman carry an entire film through sheer presence and moral ambiguity.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a revenge thriller where the moral weight matters as much as the plot, and where a lead performance carries the whole film through its grim middle.

Skip it if you struggle with sexual violence on screen or want a brisk thriller, since this runs nearly two and a half hours and lingers in its painful aftermath.

What it asks of you: Slow to build and heavy throughout, it runs long and keeps a dark register, asking patience with grief and anger before any momentum arrives.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Pink2016

Courtroom drama about sexual assault and consent that shares Mom's fury at India's justice system, but channels it through legal argumentation. Amitabh Bachchan is magnificent, and the film makes you think as hard as it makes you angry.

But Lighter on suspense than Mom and more interested in speeches than in character. Some moments feel didactic rather than felt.

Mardaani2014

Rani Mukerji as a cop hunting a human trafficker. Taut, visceral, and driven by a female protagonist who is competent and furious without needing a man to validate her. Similar energy to Mom but in a procedural key.

But The villain is cartoonishly evil, and the film's view of crime can feel simplistic compared to Mom's moral fog.

Piku2015

Sridevi herself, this time in a very different role. A comedy-drama about family and duty that lets you see her range and charisma in full light. Perfect entry point if you want to see why she commands Mom so completely.

But It's warm and funny rather than tense. If you're seeking another revenge thriller, this will feel like a detour.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Mom

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Nightingale2018

Both are mothers-turned-avengers, but where Mom operates through planning and psychology, The Nightingale is pure primal survival. Same moral question—does justice require vengeance?—answered in blood instead of manipulation.

Australian revenge thriller set during World War II. A woman hunts German soldiers who destroyed her life. Like Mom, it's about a mother's fury—but transposed into brutal survival horror and a historical setting. Isabelle Huppert is terrifying and magnificent. This is visceral in ways Mom restrains itself from being.

But Graphically violent, especially sexual violence. Not a comfortable watch. Jennifer Kent's direction can be punishing if you're not prepared for that level of brutality.

Article 152019

Ayushmann Khurrana as a cop investigating caste-based rape and murder. Angry, unflinching, structured like a police procedural but powered by genuine outrage. Shares Mom's refusal to let the system off the hook.

But More polemical than character-driven. Some viewers find its didacticism heavy-handed.

Raazi2018

Alia Bhatt as a young woman navigating war, espionage, and impossible choices. Like Mom, it's a thriller that cares about the interior life of its protagonist. Tense, smart, and Bhatt is extraordinary.

But The second half shifts register significantly. Some find it less gripping than the setup promises.

Mulk2018

Taapsee Pannu and Rishi Kapoor in a film about a Muslim family fighting prejudice and a crooked legal system. Shares Mom's theme of ordinary people forced to become warriors against injustice. Morally complex and quietly devastating.

But Slower burn than Mom. The courtroom sections can feel procedurally heavy if you're impatient.

Badlapur2015

Varun Dhawan in a revenge thriller where grief and obsession have real consequences. Bleaker and messier than Mom, which makes it feel more honest about what vengeance actually costs a person.

But The tone is relentlessly dark and it doesn't offer the cathartic release some seek from revenge films. Significantly more brutal.

Kahaani2012

Vidya Balan as a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband through Kolkata. A thriller built on female agency and misdirection. Like Mom, it makes you recalibrate your assumptions about who is reliable and who to trust.

But Older film, and the visual style is grainier. The pacing can feel dated if you're used to contemporary editing rhythms.

Rustom2016

Akshay Kumar in a film about a man accused of a crime of passion. A courtroom mystery with actual twists. If you loved Mom's unpredictability and moral murk, this scratches a similar itch, though with a very different protagonist.

But Less thematically sophisticated than Mom. Feels more like a puzzle to solve than a character study.

Memories of Murder2003

Both films are about the gap between justice and vengeance. Mom fills that gap deliberately; Memories of Murder shows what happens when you can't. One is about agency, the other about its cruel absence.

Bong Joon-ho's masterpiece about two detectives hunting a serial killer in 1980s South Korea. A police procedural, yes, but one consumed by the same question Mom obsesses over: what happens when the system fails and fury is the only honest response? Hypnotic, heartbreaking, and structurally brilliant.

But Slow. Deliberately unglamorous. The ending will enrage you if you want closure. Subtitle commitment required.

Lilies of the Field1963

Both films hinge on an act of grace or sacrifice that asks: what does it mean to truly help someone? Mom answers through vengeance; Lilies asks what happens if you choose mercy instead. Opposite poles, same question.

Sidney Poitier as a drifter who helps a group of nuns build a chapel. Completely different genre and tone from Mom, but structurally it's about an outsider who enters a community and is transformed by seeing their struggle. Gentle, funny, and morally serious in a way that seems quaint until it doesn't.

But Not a thriller. Very of its era. If you want plot momentum, this is meditative to the point of inaction. A test of patience in the best way.