Serial Mom

"Every mom wants to be wanted, but not for murder!"

1994 1h 34m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 799

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Beverly is the perfect happy homemaker, along with her doting husband and two children, but this nuclear family just might explode when her fascination with serial killers collides with her ever-so-proper code of ethics.

“Every mom wants to be wanted, but not for murder!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kathleen Turner
Beverly Sutphin
Sam Waterston
Eugene Sutphin
Ricki Lake
Misty Sutphin
Matthew Lillard
Chip Sutphin
Scott Morgan
Detective Pike
Walt MacPherson
Detective Gracey
Justin Whalin
Scotty
Patricia Dunnock
Birdie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Waters
Writers: John Waters
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 60% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Waters, shot by Robert M. Stevens. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Basil Poledouris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Janice Hampton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston and Ricki Lake carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Every mom wants to be wanted, but not for murder!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0111127 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Waters directs. Robert M. Stevens behind the camera. Basil Poledouris scores. Janice Hampton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 60% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
232 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by John Waters, shot by Robert M. Stevens. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Basil Poledouris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Janice Hampton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston and Ricki Lake carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Every mom wants to be wanted, but not for murder!".
8IMDB entry: tt0111127 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 20 themes, including "court", "harassment", "baltimore, usa", "dark comedy".
10Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert M. Stevens
Original score: Basil Poledouris
Editing: Janice Hampton
Production design: Vincent Peranio
Costume design: Van Smith
Makeup / hair: Ardis Cohen
Sound: Mark Berger
Stunt coordinator: Steve M. Davison
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $13,000,000
Box office: $7,820,688
Return: 60% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Serial Mom (1994)

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John Waters

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What people are saying

kevin20192024-09-26
★ 8/10
"Serial Mom" - which, by the way, is not for the faint hearted - is a wonderfully inappropriate guilty pleasure packed with lots of macabre fun and its wholesome depiction of life in American suburbia resembles David Lynch's contentious "Blue Velvet" (1986), but like most things in this life everything just looks too good to be true and that is simply because it is. The nicest neighbours can have the darkest secrets of all and the most hospitable and unassuming people can also be the most abominable monsters. Beverly Sutphin is a case in point. She is a charming and delightful house wife, mother, and ruthless serial killer in John Waters's controversial and outrageous satirical black comedy which affords him the ideal opportunity to present a range of biting and astutely observed insights into contemporary America and the ceaseless media frenzy surrounding the absolutely ridiculous and completely irresponsible cult of celebrity.

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