Pictured: Mahershala Ali. Not Pictured: Your Mother, Your Mother, or Your Mother. (CREDIT:: Jaclyn Martinez/© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
Starring: Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Abubakr Ali, Laith Nakli, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, Giancarlo Esposito, Adia, Jahleel Kamara
Director: Bassam Tariq
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Rating: R for Stylish Bloody Violence Captured by Stunning Cinematography, and Some Sexual Content
Release Date: September 25, 2026 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: A Houston man named Latif (Mahershala Ali) has been able to support his family with his work as a hitman. But when his wife dies, his current situation immediately proves to be a lot more untenable than it used to be. That’s because he now actually has to be physically present for his teenage daughter Fathia (Adia), pre-teen son Kadir (Jahleel Kamara), and newborn baby, who urgently needs new breast milk as the supply that Mom left behind quickly dwindles away. He’s spiritually prepared to give up the killer-for-hire lifestyle, but his fellow mosque attendee Mike (Laith Nakli), the one who’s been giving him these deadly assignments, has another job for him, and this one is quite a doozy. The target is Pastor Hwan Yoon (John Cho), an anti-pornography crusader who is particularly offended by Mike’s influencer nephew (Abubakr Ali) and his brand of so-called “Habibi porn.” Latif isn’t really interested in any of that tangled mess, but it’s unavoidable while he’s hustling to feed his baby.
What Made an Impression?: Slicing and Dicing: If you’re still disappointed over the cancellation of the Mahershala Ali version of Blade, then Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is probably the closest we’ll ever get to that, what with a sword being Latif’s preferred weapon of choice. His combat style is so similar to that of Marvel’s Daywalker that I couldn’t help but wonder if writer-director Bassam Tariq was explicitly trying to make that connection. And then I found out that he was actually hired to direct Blade, so yeah, I imagine there was some intentionality. If you’re familiar with the Elevated Horror trend, then I guess we can call this Elevated Superheroics.
Probably Unforgettable: Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is the kind of movie that makes me go, “Is this excellent, or just unusual?” What Tariq asks of his cast requires a lot of trust, and they certainly give it to him. One character declares that he’s “Team Butt”, while John Cho sports some gold grills. I mean, can you even imagine?! I witnessed the whole thing, and I still barely can. I have to give it up for the boldness, even though I’m not entirely sure that I’m stunned for the best reasons.
He’ll Make You Believe: Let’s bring it back to Ali, because if this movie works at all, it’s thanks to his grounding central performance. That’s not to say that the veterans and newcomers surrounding him aren’t also worthy of praise, because they certainly are. But as everything in his world becomes more and more outrageous, he never lets go of making us see the recognizable human crisis that he’s enduring. That’s his acting superpower: he’s the calm in the storm that elevates it all with his steadiness.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is Recommended If You Like: Exploitation flicks, Religious yearning, The Righteous Gemstones
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Swords
