‘Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother’ Review: A Blistering Spiritual Actioner Finally Gives Mahershala Ali a Leading Role Worth His While
Variety's review of "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother" praises director Bassam Tariq's second feature as an exhilarating blend of family drama, exploration of Islamic faith and action filmmaking, finally giving Mahershala Ali a leading role that matches his talent since his two Oscar wins. The film follows Latif (Ali), a devout Muslim hitman who refuses to use guns, relying instead on swords, and who vows to quit killing after his wife's death leaves him to raise three children alone in Texas. The review argues the film significantly elevates the "one last job" genre formula by weaving in genuine emotional and spiritual depth, building on the promise Tariq showed in his 2020 debut "Mogul Mowgli".
The title references an Islamic hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad names "your mother" as most deserving of devotion, signalling the film's focus on family over its violent trappings. Latif is drawn into a fraught job protecting Haddy, the nephew of his crime-boss employer Mike, bringing him into contact with an online pornographer and a gun-loving Korean-American pastor played by John Cho. The cast includes strong supporting turns from newcomers Adia and Jahleel Kamara as Latif's children. Amazon will release the film in US cinemas on 25 September, following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
- Variety praises Mahershala Ali's best leading role since his Oscar wins
- Film mixes hitman action with faith and family drama
- Amazon releases it in US cinemas on 25 September after Toronto premiere
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Latif is a devout Muslim hitman played by Mahershala Ali who has rules other assassins don't: he refuses to use guns, preferring swords, and he's trying to quit the killing business after the death of his wife left him raising three children alone in Texas. He gets pulled back in for one more job, protecting the nephew of the crime boss who employs him, which puts him in contact with an online pornographer and a gun-toting Korean-American pastor.
The film is directed by Bassam Tariq, whose only previous feature was 2020's "Mogul Mowgli", and its title comes from a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, in which he names "your mother" three times as most deserving of a person's devotion. That reference points to the film's real focus, which is Latif's relationship with his faith and his children rather than the violence around him.
The story here is a review published ahead of the film's release, following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Amazon is set to put it in US cinemas on 25 September, and the review frames it as a rare leading role that lives up to Ali's talent since his two Oscar wins.