'Other Mommy' Is the Worst Book Adaptation of 2026 (with Alison Sivitz)

This week, Alison Sivitz, also known as Bald Ann Dowd, joins Sophie and Rudi to discuss “Other Mommy,” a new Jessica Chastain horror movie based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House.” The film, which debuted at No. 1 at the box office over the weekend, follows a seven-year-old girl named Bella who is haunted by a supernatural entity that looks like her mother. After introducing their guest and briefly discussing the real Ann Dowd and “The Testaments” (01:36), everyone shares their general thoughts on the film, which they found disappointing compared to the movie’s trailer that ran before “The Odyssey.” (02:35) Sophie then gives some background on the book and its author before (05:57) Rudi shares some details on the film, which stars the Academy Award-winning Chastain in a dual role as Bella’s mom and the titular Other Mommy, along with Jay Duplass (“Sterling Point”) as Bella’s “Daddo” and Arabella Olivia Clark as Bella. Dichen Lachman (“Severance”), Arian Moayed (“Succession”) and Karen Allen (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) round out the cast. A collaboration between Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Atomic Monster, “Other Mommy” was directed by Rob Savage (“Host”) and adapted by screenwriter Nathan Elston (“Succession”). (07:32) This time, Rudi read the book and Sophie did not, so as they walk through the plot, he points out the differences, of which there are many, including collapsing several characters, cutting monologues and softening some of the book’s darker points (09:59). Throughout the discussion, Sophie, Rudi and Ali highlight the ridiculousness of “Other Mommy” (both the movie and the entity), why they found the movie funnier than it is scary and how it completely botches the book’s superior ending. They also spend some time theorizing how it could have been better (38:00) and why, unlike many adaptations they’ve covered on the podcast, this one isn’t quite bound by the same devoted, built-in audience expectations of other books. (42:00) Rudi then reveals his Rudi’s Choice pick for which he liked better: reading “Incidents Around the House” or watching “Other Mommy.” (44:54) Finally, Ali shares her pick for a book she’d like to see get adapted for the screen: Lena Dunham’s recent memoir “Famesick.” (51:07) Next week, we’re discussing “East of Eden,” Netflix’s limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic 1952 novel. The series, created by Zoe Kazan, features an ensemble cast that includes Florence Pugh, Christopher Abott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee and Ciarán Hinds. It Was A Book First is the podcast about new book-to-screen adaptations. Subscribe now to get new episodes delivered weekly on Wednesdays. Follow us on Instagram: @itwasabookfirstpod TikTok: @itwasabookfirst YouTube: @itwasabookfirstpodcast Email: [email protected] Hosts and producers: Sophie Vershbow and Rudi Greenberg Guest: Alison Sivitz Editing: Rudi Greenberg Social media: Sophie Vershbow Music: Cliff Blum and John Connelly; music production: Kevin Pons Logo: Trisha Louise Prieto Website: Kevin Pfab