Mental illness and family horrors are front and centre in writer/director Kate Dolan’s confident feature debut.

Hazel Doupe is Char, a regular teen growing up in the bleak side of Dublin. When her mother (Carolyn Bracken) suddenly returns after she disappeared unexpectedly, Char begins to notice there’s something a little off with her. Is it mental illness or is there something more sinister going on?

Impeccably acted (Doupe is a particular standout), Dolan’s film straddles genres, often pure drama with superb flashes of intense horror. It’s so well handled that the occasional jump scare seems out of place. There’s clearly a backstory of mental illness with Angela, the mother, of which all the family are aware but her reappearance and subsequent change are revealed to have something to do with Irish folklore, particularly changelings. Char’s school life is equally troubled as she has to deal with bullies who single her out due to the birthmark on her face, her quiet demeanour, and her family’s general strangeness (Char’s grandmother – played by Ingrid Craigie – burns odd talismans as protection). Setting the film at Halloween adds another level of interest as it plays into Gaelic traditions and legends.

You Are Not My Mother is a solid entry into the contemporary folk horror tradition. It has an ominous tone that keeps the viewer on the back foot, wondering if things are exaggerated in the mind of the worried Char or whether her mother is possessed or suffering a total mental breakdown. By not going leaning into regular horror traits as much as you’d think, Dolan’s film is all the more affecting. The result is a patient, atmospheric, and disturbing movie that delivers discomforting performances and a constant layer of unease.

Signature Entertainment presents You Are Not My Mother in Cinemas and Digital April 8th