Horror movie Other Mommy, starring Jessica Chastain, scared up $27.5 million in its North American debut this weekend, easily besting Sorkin drama The Social Reckoning, which opened to $5.5 million.
That's despite largely negative reviews and a "D+" grade from CinemaScore. The horror genre is generally immune to poor reception, but this is extreme, said analyst David A. Gross. The film was made on a modest $18 million budget, per Variety.
Internationally, Other Mommy earned $17.69 million, for a global debut of $45.19 million. "Horror movies are generally immune to a negative reception, but this is extreme," said Franchise Entertainment Research's David A. Gross.
The opening marks a solid start for an original horror project, especially considering the crowded fall release calendar. The film's performance suggests audiences were willing to overlook lukewarm critical response in favor of scares and star power. Other Mommy features Chastain as a woman confronting a supernatural entity that takes the form of her mother.
Meanwhile, Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning — the long-awaited follow-up to 2010's The Social Network — fell short of projections, which had been in the $7 million-$8 million range. The film stars Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White, with Sorkin returning as writer-director without original director David Fincher.
Internationally, The Social Reckoning earned $3.5 million from 29 markets, for a global start of $9 million. The film is struggling to match the staying power of its predecessor, which opened to $22 million domestically in 2010 and went on to earn $224 million globally.
In 2010, The Social Network opened to $22 million domestically and went on to earn $224 million globally. The film is now considered one of the best movies of the 2010s and won four Oscars.
The Social Reckoning earned a 54% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a "B-" CinemaScore, indicating mixed reactions. "The Social Reckoning, too, will have to combat poor word-of-mouth in the coming weeks," said Gross.
The film drew a majority male audience, with 53% of moviegoers identifying as male, according to PostTrak. The audience skewed older, with 29% under 25.
Sony reportedly tried to distance the second film from the first because of the absence of director David Fincher and star Jesse Eisenberg.