The 7 Worst Moms In Horror!

There are moms that are gentle, and moms that are strict, but horror moms take these traits to the extreme. The horror genre has a close relationship with mothers. Mothers take all shapes and forms in this genre, but far too often the mothers in this field are the embodiment of evil. Whether it's psychologically scarring their children or relying on violence to get their way, moms in horror can be the worst.  

Before diving into 7 of the worst moms in horror, this list talks about moms of horror who are bad parents, not necessarily just murderous or evil to others. Keep that in mind as we continue! Also: Spoiler warning!

1. Carrie White’s Mom, Margaret White (Carrie, 1976)

The constant and consistent use of religion to manipulate and punish Carrie (Sissy Spacek) after raising her on those beliefs is a special kind of evil. Then for Margaret White (Piper Laurie) to continue onto body shame and chastise Carrie for wanting to behave like a teenager, Margaret White proves she’ll take any chance she gets to hurt her daughter. These behaviors snowball into physical violence when Carrie decides to fully break away from her mother. These actions, on top of blaming Carrie for the very natural functions of her body -- like getting her period -- really solidify her place on this list. (Stream on AMC+)

2. Annie Graham’s Mom, Ellen Leigh (Hereditary, 2018)

While Annie (Toni Collette) certainly has her own problems as a mother throughout the events of Hereditary, her mother is arguably far worse than she is. Like Margaret White, Ellen (Kathleen Chalfant) manipulates a religion to control her daughter and thus her grandchildren. Further, Ellen’s over-controlling and inappropriate behavior with her daughter and granddaughter makes for a highly uncomfortable relationship and showcases her constant abuse of power. But most offensively, Ellen’s familial sacrifices are ultimately what gets her on this list. Ellen orchestrates the death of her grandson after the failure of the sacrifice of her granddaughter. This, of course, is all after she causes the death of her own son. (Available on VOD/Digital)

3. Coraline’s Mom, Other Mother (Coraline, 2009)

Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) takes manipulation and violence to a whole new level. The Other Mother creates a whole world to trap and hurt Coraline (Dakota Fanning). Packed with dangerous people and harmful environments, Other Mother tries to convince Coraline that the Other World is a better place for her -- purposefully leading her to danger. When this doesn’t work, Other Mother kidnaps Coraline’s real parents. Then, once again, when Coraline tries to escape, Other Mother makes Other Father a monster to trap Coraline and then attempts to kill Coraline, as she has in the past. A true danger and violent menace to a young girl, her daughter, earns her spot on the list. (Stream on Pluto TV and Tubi)

4. Lee Harker’s Mom, Ruth Harker (Longlegs, 2024)

The evilest thing that Ruth Harker (Alicia Witt) does is work for the very person that is terrorizing her daughter then go and lie to her face. When Lee (Maika Monroe) willingly tries to care for her mother, the latter continues to speak and work in cruel ways to target her daughter. She even goes as far as to target the people that help Lee -- her coworker and her supervisor. While it can be understood that Ruth may not have a say in all her actions, these targeted offenses are what get her a spot on this list. (Available on VOD/Digital) 

5. Kevin Wendell Crumb’s Mom, Penelope Crumb (Split, 2016)

Kevin’s mom (Rosemary Howard) inadvertently caused the events of the film to take place. Though she is not in the film for longer than a short scene and a reference, the film tells the audience that her abuse was so horrible toward her son that he developed the life altering dissociative identity disorder that negatively affects Kevin (James McAvoy) for the rest of his life. This abuse canonically takes its worst form after Kevin’s father dies, which just doubles down on this woman’s inherent evilness. (Stream on Peacock)

6. Chloe Sherman’s Mom, Diane Sherman (Run, 2020)

One of the worst of this list, Diane Sherman (Sarah Paulson) medically abuses and ruins the childhood of her only daughter (Kiera Allen). Further, she isolates her daughter from society and attempts to trap her forever in the house. Her Munchausen-By-Proxy Syndrome is especially violent given the life she robs her daughter of the control she gives her over Chloe’s life. This form of abuse goes beyond the physical and into the psychological. (Stream on Hulu)

7. Norman Bates's Mom, Mrs. Bates (Psycho. 1960)

The literally mother of all bad moms in horror, Mrs. Bates definitely takes the cake. Although deceased throughout the entirety of the film, her presence is kept alive by her loyal but unstable son, Norman (Anthony Perkins). When a woman on the run from the law gets murdered in the shower by what appears to be an old woman, Norman dutifully cleans up the evidence that he believes his mother has committed. But, as explained at the end of the film, it was Norman all along -- 10 years earlier, he had killed his abusive and manipulative mother, but the act was so traumatic that he took on her identity. And she still berated and abused him even in death! Poor Norman could never catch a break... (Stream on Netflix)