< Back to main Festival page

A hooded woman sits in a dark room, in front of a table that holds animal skulls. She holds a spiked twig.

Mother of Flies

  Zelda Adams, John Adams, Toby Poser  |  U.S.

A reclusive necromancer and a young woman battling uterine cancer form an intense and intimate bond in the latest haunting film from The Adams Family, the horror dream (or nightmare) team and real-life family that writes, edits, directs, and stars in all their films.

A spiritual sequel to 2021 Festival entry Hellbender, the film follows Mickey and her father Jake on a journey into the depths of a forest lush with morbid imagery. There, the mysterious Solveig awaits with an unconventional cure for Mickey’s disease. She expects no payment for her magical remedy—but dark magic always has its price. Brought together by their shared familiarity with the death that shadows all living things, Mickey and Solveig become engrossed in their bloody and transformative rituals while Jake’s skepticism pushes him to seek answers: Who is this strange woman? And what are these archaic methods that seem more likely to cause harm than to heal?

Mother of Flies is poetic and personal, speaking to the interwoven processes of life and death, the horrors of motherhood gone awry, the power of belief, and The Adams Family’s own experience with cancer.

 English 

 92 minutes

Screenings & Events

There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.

Film Credits

  •   Zelda Adams, John Adams, Toby Poser
  •   Toby Poser, John Adams, Zelda Adams, Lulu Adams

You might also enjoy...

A woman in a red period dress stands in a luxurious room, a wild and angered expression on her face.

Mārama

Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand

Mary’s pursuit of the truth about her Māori heritage sends her down a blood-soaked path of righteous retribution in this striking gothic horror.

A woman with wild hair and yellow eyes and teeth speaks to a person, a wild expression on her face. There is blood on her face.

The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin

Hadrah Daeng Ratu | Indonesia

Gross-out gore takes center stage when a mistreated young woman summons a jinn to curse her stepfamily in this award-winning revenge film.

A young man stands facing the camera, extending his palm to show various cartoon faces drawn onto his fingertips.

The Holy Boy

Paolo Strippoli | Italy, Slovenia

In this striking horror film, a teen boy’s embrace promises an end to pain—until the dark side of his power comes into disturbingly detailed focus.

Tickets on sale now!

See your most-anticipated screenings at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.

GET YOUR TICKETS
close-link

Save $10 on memberships with code 26MEM10

Members get the best price and earliest access to
tickets at the 62nd Festival!

BECOME A MEMBER
close-link
Scroll to Top