The 10 Best Movies About Mother-Son Relationships, Ranked (2024)

Father and daughter relationships in movies are fairly common in film, with some of the most touching and profound movies — including 2022's heart-wrenching Aftersun — properly reflecting on the poignant connection. However, mother and son bonds are seemingly less discussed in cinema and are arguably more complex in the instances where they are, as seen in films like Hereditary and the new science fiction franchise Dune.

Most portrayals of mother-son bonds in pictures depict layered and sometimes even challenging connections. However, there are also exceptional movies that showcase healthy and loving relationships between mothers and sons. As such, we invite readers to take a look at some of the best movies about mother and son relationships, ranking these films based on their quality and analyzing the special connections they portray.

10 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' (2011)

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Directed by Lynne Ramsay, We Need to Talk About Kevin stars the controversial Ezra Miller in the lead role opposite Tilda Swinton and provides audiences with a dark and macabre family tale. It focuses on a mother who struggles to love her strange child despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up.

Anyone who is looking to watch a darker mother-son tale is probably going to enjoy Ramsay's captivating mystery thriller that delves deep into the complexities of motherhood, especially when raising a challenging son, to say the least. On top of offering audiences a different outlook on motherly love, We Need to Talk About Kevin features an entertaining plot that keeps viewers invested throughout.

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9 'The Babadook' (2014)

Director: Jennifer Kent

In Jennifer Kent's haunting and suspenseful The Babadook, a grieving single mother named Amelia (Essie Davis) and her child, Samuel (NoahWiseman), find themselves trapped inside a nightmarish web when the central character from a bizarre children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.

When it comes to female-directed horror films, The Babadook is surely at the top of the list for a number of reasons, starting with its compelling and creative narrative and the masterful direction (the acting is also worth mentioning). On top of shedding light on sensitive themes, including loss and grief, Kent's movie also examines motherhood through Amelia and Samuel's touching relationship. It is also one of the best horror films about mental health.

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8 '20th Century Women' (2016)

Director: Mike Mills

20th Century Women is a personal project for filmmaker MikeMills, who revealed that it was inspired by his own upbringing, making it an even more special watch. Set against the backdrop of 1979 Southern California, the coming-of-age tale tells the story of a teenage boy (Lucas Jade Zumann), raised by his mother (Annette Bening), and two other women (Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning) who help raise him in one way or another.

While Jade Zumman's on-screen counterpart is heavily influenced by the two other women with whom he shares a meaningful bond, his most special connection is still shared with his mother; it is evident that Dorothea and Jamie's relationship is the highlight of20th Century Women, although Bening's character struggles to manage her own anxieties with parenthood.

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7 'Boyhood' (2014)

Director: Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater has always been the one to make believable movies about the mundane, and Boyhood is no exception. This charming and heartfelt drama, which began production in 2002 and finished in 2013, realistically depicts the coming-of-age of a young boy from ages six to eighteen (portrayed by Ellar Coltrane) as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents (PatriciaArquette and Linklater's long-time collaborator, Ethan Hawke).

Although the relationship between Mason and his father is also predominant in the Linklater movie, his bond with a struggling single mother is somehow even more memorable. The endearing mother-son connection portrayed in Boyhood makes the film even more enjoyable, especially because it is also a refreshing, realistic, and at times heartbreaking portrayal of motherhood. Plus, getting to watch Patricia Arquette aging gracefully is a blessing.

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6 'Terminator 2' (1991)

Director: James Cameron

With an enthralling premise and realistic mother-son relationship at its center, Terminator 2 arguably improves upon its predecessor. The story focuses on the bond formed between a cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger in an iconic role) identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah (Linda Hamilton), who must now protect her ten-year-old son John (Edward Furlong) from an even more powerful cyborg.

Being a single mother is a predominant theme in the Terminator franchise. And although the relationship between Sarah and John isn't the most explored, it still plays a huge role in the film. With that said, Terminator 2 is a great action movie all around, whether that is for its enormous influence on pop culture, the memorable characters, or the genuinely engrossing narrative that stands the test of time.

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5 'Mommy' (2014)

Director: Xavier Dolan

In Xavier Dolan's heartbreaking, nonetheless entertaining coming-of-age picture, a widowed single mother (Anne Dorval) makes an effort to raise her son (Antoine Olivier Pilon), who struggles with ADHD and an attachment disorder, alone. In the meantime, she finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor (Suzanne Clément) inserts herself into their household.

The central mother-son relationship in Mommy is undoubtedly a crucial aspect of the film, as it plays like a slice-of-life drama that mainly revolves around the two characters and their day-to-day life. While it is definitely not the picture-perfect illustration of a healthy mother and son bond, it would be a crime not to include the Xavier Dolan film on this list, especially considering how unforgettable and affecting it is.

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4 'JoJo Rabbit' (2019)

Director: Taika Waititi

One of the most emotionally devastating World War II movies is told from the perspective of a ten-year-old boy named Johannes "Jojo" Betzler (RomanGriffinDavis) living in Nazi Germany during the later stages of the war with his mother Rosie (ScarlettJohansson). Their life takes a wild turn when Rosie hides a Jewish girl in their home.

Taika Waititi's Oscar-winning Best Picture nominee is a remarkable film (though possibly not to everyone's taste, considering the comic way it deals with sensitive themes) anchored by incredible acting efforts and striking cinematography that contrasts with the dark times it is set in. Still, one of the movie's strongest aspects is the positive, even if tear-jerking bond shared between Johannes and Rosie.

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3 'Hereditary' (2018)

Director: Ari Aster

Ari Aster's disturbing A24 horror movie meditates on loss and grief and follows a grieving family who is haunted by a sinister entity following the death of the matriarch of the Graham family. In the meantime, a series of shocking, disturbing, and life-altering occurrences take place while the family unearths terrifying buried secrets about their ancestry.

Hereditary is not exclusively a mother-son film, as it focuses on the family as a whole. However, Annie and Peter's twisted relationship is a crucial aspect of the film and plays a big part in the story's development, which examines generational trauma and how it reflects on motherhood, as well as the deterioration of mental health. If readers are looking for heartwarming mother-son films, this is definitely not the right pick. However, not mentioning Hereditary on such a list would be an omission.

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2 The 'Dune' Franchise (2021 -)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

After two flawless entries, Denis Villeneuve's science fiction hit Dune has proven to be one of the most promising film franchises. With memorable characters and an intriguing plot, this book-to-screen adaptation tells the story of Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides, a brilliant and seemingly gifted young man who is born into a great destiny beyond. His mother, played by Rebecca Ferguson, helps him find his fate.

Both Dune installments are unforgettable for plenty of reasons, including its absorbing storyline, astounding sound, and striking cinematography. However, the bond shared between its characters also stands out, particularly between Jessica and Paul. Jessica is an integral figure in her son's rise to power, therefore their relationship, although incredibly flawed and even toxic at times, is also a key aspect of the movie.

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1 'Psycho' (1960)

Director: Alfred Hitchco*ck

Alfred Hitchco*ck's Psycho is one of the filmmaker's most famous works, and it is not difficult to understand why. The masterfully directed black-and-white 1960 picture centers on Marion Crane (JanetLeigh), a secretary on the run for embezzlement who takes refuge at an isolated California motel owned by a shy man (Anthony Perkins) and his mother with terrifying consequences.

Psycho — the first adaptation of the 1959 novel of the same name — is a perfect horror thriller by the legendary director. Through its fantastic build of tension and suspense, the masterful movie has revolutionized the horror genre and continues to influence several films in the category to this day. Although the film does not showcase the relationship between the two, it is clear that the protagonist's mother holds power over him. After all, there would be no Norman Bates without Norma Bates.

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NEXT: The 20 Best TV Shows About Dysfunctional Families, Ranked