Novelist and essayist Barbara Kingsolver once said that the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws. Youth fades, [romantic] love droops, and the leaves of friendship fall, but a mother’s secret hope outlives them all. These words by physician and poet Oliver Wendell Holmes, meanwhile, validate the power of maternity. Mother is such a strong term that it resonates with unconditional love. Maternal love fuels us to do the impossible. While a single day may not be enough to honor the “light of our homes,” Mother’s Day presents us with the best chance to spend time with them.

Celebrating the occasion does not have to be complicated. Something as simple as watching a movie or two with mom could be a good enough bonding experience. There are plenty of films to see. If you and your mom, however, have the stomach for screamers, gore, and psychological pictures, then drop the dramas and comedies for a moment and try these titles instead.

Warning: Viewer discretion is advised.

The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)

POSSESSION OBSESSION Julia, Henry, Fathers Amorth and Esquibel, staring at ceiling where the demon crawls

This is the story of the Pope’s chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, and his encounter with the family of single mother Julia along with her children Amy and Henry. Julia inherits the San Sebastian Abbey in Spain from her husband who had just died in a car accident. After the three move in to oversee the property’s renovation, Henry gets possessed by a powerful demon.

The Holy Mother and the might of a mother’s love are referenced in the horror feature released last month in theaters. To quote the earthy, scooter-riding, and humorous Father Amorth, portrayed by Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe, “A mother’s love is the closest thing to God’s love.”

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

MA'S DILEMMA Rosemary peering down the crib of her newborn baby in the final scene of the film

The brooding, macabre film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on Ira Levin’s 1967 novel of the same name, is regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time. The frightening tale of Satanism and pregnancy is made more disturbing with the phenomenal acting of Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon, who played the central characters Rosemary Woodhouse and Minnie Castevet, respectively. Ushering in a paradigm shift for ’60s Hollywood, Rosemary’s Baby is a work decades ahead of its time.

Mama (2013)

UNDYING LOVE The ghost of Edith, the main antagonist in Mama

Andy Muschietti’s directorial debut, based on a 2008 Argentine short movie of the same name, succeeds in scaring the wits out of audiences, leaving lingering and creepy images, despite indulging in horror tropes, from long, silent shots of empty hallways to amorphous shapes leaping out of the shadows with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speed, all of which are chillingly effective.

Two little girls return to civilization after surviving years of living alone in a cabin in the woods. They are followed by the supernatural entity that watched over them, Mama, into their new home. The rest, as they say, is history. The child actresses Isabelle Nelisse and Megan Charpentier delivered praiseworthy performances, especially for their age. Produced by Academy Award-winner Guillermo del Toro, you already know it’s a must-watch… with the lights on.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

MOTHER'S WRATH The deadite, Ellie, defying gravity

Among the year’s most anticipated film releases, Evil Dead Rise stays true to Sam Raimi’s iconic franchise known for adrenaline-pumping and hard-to-watch moments of top-notch gruesome violence. The main antagonist, as one could tell from the trailer, is mommy, portrayed by Australian actress Alyssa Sutherland.

For a film that runs for 100 minutes, the brisk pace never gives you time to breathe, keeping you engaged from beginning to end, offering so much carnage candy. Writer and director Lee Cronin “pours pure, unhinged glee into a horror movie made for sickos, by sickos,” as film critic Rafael Motamayor puts it in his review.

Mother (2017)

SHE WHO GIVES HER ALL Mother's poster features an illustration of Jennifer Lawrence with her heart out

Mother leaves you impressed and speechless. This giant metaphor starts as a slow-burn thriller with a sprinkle of mystery and turns into chaos of cruel humanity. Darren Aronofsky symbolically represented how man is ruining Mother Nature and how she answers in return in this surrealistic and insane ride. Jennifer Lawrence’s range and ability to really hold her own against a powerful and experienced male lead also carries the whole picture.

Us (2019)

DOUBLEGANGER Lupita Nyong'o as Adelaide Wilson in Us

Jordan Peele’s sophomore work is a triumph of identity horror and dark reflection on America’s past, told through the tribulation of a black family, the Wilsons, headed by the mother Adelaide, as they set out in the dark of the night forced to fight their own doppelgangers.

The concept is astoundingly original, bringing back imagination and flair to the horror genre plagued by slashers, reboots, and sequels.

Hereditary (2018)

TRUE TERROR A horrified Annie Graham toward the end of Hereditary

A good case of psychological terror done right, Hereditary is a masterpiece that explores the intergenerational effects of a family curse with the literal invocation of a demonic entity but also the dramatic, emotional manipulation between family members.

Led by its matriarch Annie portrayed by Toni Collette at her very best, the Graham family puts Annie’s complex mother Ellen to rest and begins to come to terms with her death. Sinister forces and unexplained events, however, manifest and a tragic event begins to tear apart the family fabric already damaged from the traumatic family history.

Ari Aster’s grand debut is far from horror clichés highly reliant on jump scares and cheap thrills but focuses on mental problems, hallucinations, and the great ironies and agonies of parenthood.

Birdbox (2018)

NO PEEKING Malorie and her two children in Birdbox

The premise, set in a post-apocalyptic world where people need to be blindfolded to survive an extraterrestrial attack, is engrossing as is, paired with the impeccable performance of multi-awarded actress Sandra Bullock and you have one of the most memorable sci-fi films of 2018.

The narrative was adapted from Josh Malerman’s novel, which was well-conceived and conceptualized as a seat-edge thriller. While you can’t see the menacing creature on screen, the idea of it is hair-raising. It keeps the audiences on their toes for the entire 90-minute thriller.