Motherhood is a challenge, but some movie moms take bad parenting to a new level. They don’t just forget to pack their child’s lunch or miss a soccer game on occasion. These mothers are out here committing crimes, unleashing trauma, and proving Freud’s theories right. They gaslight their kids into oblivion and don’t do the job they signed up for. It just goes to show that not every woman has that maternal instinct.
Your mother might’ve been difficult, but hopefully, she wasn’t as bad as these nightmarish characters. Here are eight of the worst moms in cinematic history. Maybe they’ll at least make you feel better about your own dysfunctional upbringing.
Carrie (1976)
In the horror film Carrie, a shy teenager named Carrie is sheltered by her overly religious and controlling mother. Margaret White wins as the worst movie mom ever. She locks her daughter in a closet and makes her “pray for forgiveness” because she sees Carrie’s maturing body as a sin.
Then, once she discovers that Carrie has supernatural powers, she believes that she must kill Carrie in order to cleanse her. Honestly, Carrie didn’t stand a chance.
Mommie Dearest (1981)
This film is based on Christina Crawford’s memoir, in which she reveals how she was raised and tormented by her adoptive mother, Joan Crawford, a legendary film star. It serves as a reminder that fame and parenting don’t always mix.
In Mommie Dearest, Joan Crawford, played by Faye Dunaway, takes in two orphans. At first, they seemed like a happy family, but over time, Joan becomes increasingly cruel and callous toward her daughter, Christina. Her abusive behavior was triggered by failed romances and getting fired from her contract with MGM studios.
Psycho (1960)
Norma Bates has a creepy influence over her son Norman, even from beyond the grave. After her husband died, she raised Norman alone and prevented him from having a life outside of their relationship. But when his mother gets a boyfriend, Norman kills them both out of jealousy. He mummifies her corpse so that they can be together forever. She controls him even in death. It’s mothering at its most haunting.
Coraline (2009)
The “Other Mother” is a monstrous being that presents herself as a more attentive version of Coraline’s mother. She actually turns out to be a demon once her true self is revealed.
She represents a dangerously manipulative maternal figure who tries to lure children like Coraline into another world that seems superior to the one she currently lives in. After entrapping them, she sews buttons into their eyes so that they cannot leave her realm. Then, she consumes them.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Snow White’s wicked stepmother, the Evil Queen, is jealous of her beauty, so what does she do? She tries to have the innocent princess murdered. Snow White manages to escape the assassination attempt and hides out in a cottage with seven friendly little miners.
When the queen finds out Snow White is still alive, she disguises herself as an old hag and feeds her stepdaughter a poisoned apple. Snow White then falls into a death-like sleep and can only wake up from a kiss by the prince. She is the gold standard for evil stepmothers for generations to come.
Cinderella (1950)
A wicked stepmother and two jealous stepsisters force Cinderella to wear rags and do all the housework from dawn to dusk. Talk about terrible parenting! Cinderella is also not allowed to attend the royal ball that everyone else is going to, but luckily, her fairy godmother comes to her aid.
Tangled (2010)
Rapunzel is actually the young princess of the kingdom of Corona, but she was kidnapped by Mother Gothel as a baby and kept locked up in a tower so that she would never find out about her background. Mother Gothel wants Rapunzel all to herself because Rapunzel’s magic hair helps maintain her youthful looks. She’s basically every narcissistic mom ever. Gaslighting is her best skill.
Home Alone (1990)
In the movie Home Alone, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister acts out the night before a family trip to Paris. His mother, Kate McCallister, played by Catherine O’Hara, makes him sleep in the attic. She proceeds to forget him at home, and the whole family leaves for the trip without him. It’s very neglectful of her, especially when she does it a second time in the sequel.
