The Adams Family Delivers Another Solid Witchy Folk Horror in Mother of Flies (2026)
Title: Mother of Flies
First Non-Festival Release: January 23, 2026 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)
Director: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
Writer: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser
Runtime: 92 Minutes
Starring: Toby Poser, John Adams, Zelda Adams
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
The Adams family are back with another fiercely independent, family-made horror blended with their signature intimacy and grit. With much of their horror work set in the beautiful backwoods of upstate New York, Mother of Flies dives into the world of witchcraft once more.
After being told she only has six months to live, Mickey (Zelda Adams) decides to make the most of her final days. When a chance encounter with the mysterious Solveig (Toby Poser) ignites new hope, Mickey jumps at the chance for a cure to her condition. She takes her father (John Adams) on a journey to the vast forests of upstate New York to meet the strange woman. Upon arrival, the two settle into Solveig’s charming treehouse and begin taking the first steps necessary for Mickey’s healing. Solveig promises that the ritual will take three days before Mickey is cured. The real question is what secrets is Solveig keeping from the father-daughter duo.
Mother of Flies is a simmering folk horror that focuses on the lighter side of death.
Mother of Flies is yet another Adams family jaunt that focuses on familial friction and folk horror. Dripping with mystery, their latest tale of the supernatural centers on the mysterious practices of a healer determined to free a young woman from cancer but for a price. There isn’t much mystery behind Solveig as a person. Her backstory is sufficiently brutal to necessitate the local urban legends, and the film gets increasingly honest about her state of mind the closer Mickey gets to her final cleansing ritual. What keeps Mother of Flies interesting, however, are the details surrounding her motivations. What exactly does Solveig gain from helping Mickey? The audience is left to ponder if her good intentions outweigh the concern projected from the local populace. This lingering doubt makes each strange step in Mickey’s healing sharper and potentially deadlier.
As Mickey and Solveig work closely through the various rituals, they begin forming a bond. Solveig is deeply empathetic to Mickey’s pain and confusion while impressed with her wise-beyond-her-years outlook on her cynical diagnosis. Mickey is in awe of Solveig’s resolve and belief herself, the exact kind of person one feels confident putting her life in her hands. The hints at Solveig’s intentions can be found through her relationship with Jake. Deeply skeptical and fearful for his daughter’s life, Jake’s meddling barely registers for Solveig. In fact, Solveig feels it’s her place to share some uneasy truths with Jake whenever he pushes too hard. Solveig’s presence inevitably causes conflict between the father and daughter. Jake’s fear of losing Mickey and his complete helplessness to her condition, and fierce independence streak, cause him to push Mickey away. The dynamic that results is equally narratively compelling as it is entertaining. And it bolsters the themes of acceptance, trust, and re-birth central to Mother of Flies to boot.
Pondering deep, emotional ideas about life and loss, Mother of Flies reframes death as just another thing that happens. While appropriate weight is certainly given to the stakes, Mother of Flies takes a reassuring approach to Mickey’s condition. With her life only just beginning and ending in nearly the same breath, Mickey’s embrace of life and kindness is what draws Solveig to her. Never babying her at her most painful moments, Solveig pushes Mickey to fight for her life, understanding that if she makes the hard choices now, she will live the life she deserves. There’s also something deeply powerful about women seeking help, comfort, and solace in each other. This is a powerful marker in Mother of Flies, thanks to its well-crafted characters and under-discussed themes.
Despite its compelling approach to the witch sub-genre of horror, there’s a stiffness within it that Mother of Flies cannot escape. Both John Adams and Zelda Adams deliver solid performances but moments of doubt creep in when it’s just them. Their father-daughter banter and angst come across as forced the more Mother of Flies pushes their buttons in relation to Solveig. This ephemeral reluctance is peppered throughout the film, popping in at the slower, less painful moments but threatening the slow burn suspense all the same.
This new spin on death, dying, and witchcraft makes Mother of Flies both a contemplative and delightful indie horror film. Toby Poser’s command of character anchors the film when it gets too stilted or stuck while the creative DIY production elements make the small world feel raw, realized, and real. The true draw lies in its unapologetic embrace of life and death, a winning message in a time plagued by chaos and turbulence.
Overall Score? 6/10
