Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey may be dominating theaters, but some moviegoers walked out talking about something far more terrifying.
While audiences settled in for the highly anticipated Homer adaptation, a surprise trailer caught them completely off guard, with its disturbing imagery proving almost too much for some viewers.
Highlights
- A terrifying trailer left unsuspecting The Odyssey viewers shaken in their seats.
- One horror scene featuring Jessica Chastain sparked an intense reaction online.
- Christopher Nolan revealed he may still have a horror movie waiting in the future.
Their reactions quickly spread online, with some moviegoers claiming the trailer left them trembling in their seats.
“I'm having a panic attack in my seat,” one X user said.
New horror movie trailer caught The Odyssey viewers by surprise
Image credits: Universal Pictures
On July 21, the first trailer for the upcoming horror movie Other Mommy was released online. It was also shown in theaters ahead of The Odyssey screenings.
The trailer quickly went viral, especially after it left unsuspecting moviegoers almost scarred with its disturbing visuals. On X, it attracted more than 24 million views in less than 24 hours.
Many viewers who had stepped into the theaters to watch Christopher’s Nolan’s epic admitted that they were not prepared for Other Mommy’s horrifying trailer.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
One particularly scary moment featuring Jessica Chastain’s contorted body left several viewers trembling.
“Whole theater was shook seeing this play before The Odyssey,” one user said.
A second commented, “I screamed and threw my popcorn at a certain part of this trailer when I saw it in the theater for The Odyssey.”
“There’s literally no reason for us to be jump-scared by Jessica Chastain at 10 am. Like half of my theater got spooked,” a third person added.
Other Mommy director breaks down chilling scene in new trailer
Image credits: Universal Pictures
Other Mommy is based on Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel Incidents Around the House. The author is best known for Bird Box, which was adapted into the Sandra Bullock-led Netflix film of the same name.
In the upcoming film, Jessica Chastain plays Ursula, a mother who must protect her young daughter from a sinister supernatural entity. Rob Savage directed the adaptation with horror legend James Wan serving as a producer.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
The kitchen-table scene, in which Chastain appears with tangled limbs and a grotesquely distorted body, generated plenty of buzz on social media.
In an interview with Empire, Savage revealed that the scene was only the beginning of the film’s “terrifying ride.”
Although the film primarily explores the psychological impact of a sinister entity that threatens the bond between a mother and daughter, Savage also promised plenty of jump scares.
“It disrupts all of the usual horror beats and rhythms that you associate with the genre,” he said.
Christopher Nolan has also expressed interest in making a horror movie
Image credits: Universal Pictures
In the same interview, Savage praised Chastain’s performance in the film, describing the 49-year-old actress as “horror royalty.” Savage also hoped that Other Mommy would create a new piece of horror iconography.
The horror genre has experienced a recent resurgence, both commercially and critically.
Curry Barker’s Obsession, which released earlier this year, grossed $443 million at the worldwide box office. Meanwhile, Backrooms, directed by Kane Parsons, earned $384.4 million globally.
Image credits: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
While promoting The Odyssey, Nolan also expressed an interest in helming a horror movie.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar-winner admitted that he still had the “appetite” to direct a horror project.
“I’ve always believed that horror as a genre has to be approached very carefully from a conceptual point of view,” he said.
Nolan also praised Obsession, calling it “an amazing idea,” while adding that he was still “looking” for a horror concept that would help him scratch the itch.
Other Mommy is scheduled to release on October 9, 2026.