When his fiancé starts behaving like his recently deceased mother, he is forced into a nightmarish game of therapy. A psychological thriller film by Laurence Vannicelli, starring Kyle Gallner and Holland Roden.

Following the death of his estranged mother, Emmett (Kyle Gallner) returns to his childhood home with his fiancée Anya (Holland Roden) to tend to her cremation and the estate she bequeathed to him.

Emmett does not hate his mother. He tells himself that he does not feel anything for her, but the truth is that he is deeply wounded by her abandonment. He has never understood why she left him.

Anya, an aspiring poet, draws on her mother’s expertise as a psychoanalyst to help her navigate her relationship with Emmett. When they have a misunderstanding, she suggests Chair Reversal, a role-playing technique in which each partner takes turns speaking from the other person’s perspective for one minute. This allows them to see each other’s perspectives and gain insight into their own behavior. Anya notices that Emmett often avoids talking about his late mother. She suspects that he is still grieving and angry, and she encourages him to use Chair Reversal to explore these feelings.

Emmett is upset, but Anya persuades him to take magic mushrooms in the hopes of helping him open up and let go. That night, while they are tripping, Anya invites Emmett to play another round of Chair Reversal. This time, Anya takes on the role of his mother.

The next day, Emmett is transfixed as he watches Anya smoke a cigarette while sitting at his mother’s dining table and wearing his mother’s dress. He knows for a fact that Anya does not smoke or wear makeup. Emmett is confused and wonders if Anya is still in her act, but he reluctantly plays along. Anya does not just dress like his mother, she also behaves like her, talks like her, and writes like her. Emmett begins to wonder if Anya has been possessed by his mother’s spirit.

A psychological thriller film written and directed by an Italian-American filmmaker Laurence Vannicelli, about a couple with traumatic childhood experiences. Emmett secretly craves the motherly love he never received. Anya, on the other hand, was loved by her mother for her gifted skills. However, as she grew up, she became a disappointment to her mother.

The film never explicitly shows us the real ghost or how Anya is possessed by the spirit of Emmett’s mother. However, the possession is the only possible explanation for Anya’s behavior. She acts and does things that only Emmett’s mother could do. Although it is revealed that Emmett’s mother did not abandon him, but he was taken away by the authorities because she was unable to care for him. The film does not provide an answer as to why her spirit is still lingering in her house.

Kyle Gallner and Holland Roden give outstanding performances, with Roden particularly notable for her ability to seamlessly shift between two distinct personas, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next. However, the revelation of Emmett’s past comes too easily, and the conclusion is too simplistic, leaving little room for interpretation.

MOTHER, MAY I? premiered at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival on 19 October 2022. The film was released theatrically (limited) and digitally in the United States on 21 July 2023.