YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER (2026)

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother does something rare in this modern age: it feels original and breathes life into a well-worn genre. Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali and director Bassam Tariq met while working on Marvel’s doomed Blade project. After it spectacularly collapsed, they drew on their training and research to create this original story. It takes the assassin-revenge trope and infuses it with religious commentary, family drama and a moral backbone.

In the opening scene, we meet Latif (Mahershala Ali) beating a man in a public bathroom when he learns that his wife has died. He’s now left with three children: teenage Fathia (Adia), pre-teen Kadir (Jahleel Kamara), and a newborn who won’t take formula.

After a stint in the Marines, Latif finds work as a contract killer for the rich and corrupt Mike (Laith Nakli). This line of work has alienated him from his physician brother, Talib (Tramell Tillman), and his disapproving but compassionate imam, Abdul Malik (Giancarlo Esposito). Yet Latif is very good at what he does, which creates a major paradox.

Latif is assigned to protect Hatty (Abubakr Ali), the self-proclaimed king of ‘Habibi porn’, whose apparently Muslim-friendly adult website is making waves across communities. Hatty is being targeted by Pastor Hwan Yoon (John Cho), a cowboy caricature on a crusade to cleanse the world after surviving war. Latif is obliged to take the job, despite his personal grief and distaste for Hatty’s online content.

One part of the film follows this religious conflict; another sees Latif searching for breast milk for his young son. The baby won’t take formula, so Latif must find women willing to breastfeed him. It’s a constant reminder of Latif’s loss and of how he’ll never be able to meet all his children’s needs. An action film in which its violent lead seeks out breastfeeding mothers works better than it should. The search leads him to a sex worker (Tiffany Boone), and then to the cowboy-hat-wearing, gold-toothed Korean pastor.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother has a strong moral compass, exploring weighty themes within a bloody action thriller. The film asks whether a man of devout Muslim faith can be righteous while killing for a living. The screenplay also considers whether the differences between jihadis—people who fight for their beliefs—and the American right-wing culture war are really so great. The film may take place in a highly stylised microcosm, but it offers an effective portrait of America as a dying ideology, overrun by grifters pretending to be on a moral crusade.

Faith is a major theme, and it elevates the film beyond standard John Wick fare. Latif’s teenage daughter challenges him to consider the teachings of Islam; his devout young son asks him to confront his lapsed faith; and his own losses weigh heavily on his relationship with a higher power. Refreshingly, the film doesn’t peddle stereotypes about Muslims and examines problems within the community itself. This shouldn’t be a noteworthy point, but the genre has a poor track record when it comes to representing the religion.

Ali’s performance holds the film together. As a quiet but strong presence, he’s reminiscent of Ryan Gosling in Drive (2011). Ali balances Latif’s imposing presence with a gentle vulnerability. He comes across as immensely proud and strong without flaunting his masculinity. He doesn’t need to deliver grand speeches or flex his muscles; Latif’s power lies in his calmness.

Cho’s character loves a big, cheesy monologue, and the actor clearly relishes playing this larger-than-life parody of the American dream. He’s a pantomime villain, but also hauntingly close to the bone in an age when people manufacture culture wars for views. Audiences catch glimpses of him throughout the film, often in social-media videos. Cho seems to have more to give, but Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother doesn’t give him enough time to fully unleash himself.

Some audience members may find the finale underwhelming. The film spends time setting up threads and characters for a big, spectacular final act, but the payoff doesn’t quite meet expectations or bring Latif’s story to a satisfying close.

Even if you don’t want to explore the deeper themes at play, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is a really cool film. It has slickly choreographed fight scenes, eccentric characters and edgy humour. But it’s best enjoyed when you engage with those themes.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother may struggle to find its audience. It wears many hats, and wears them well, but viewers drawn to one part of the story may struggle to find meaning in another. One moment, the script is searching for emotional truths in religion; the next, there’s hand-to-hand combat in a former strip club. The action scenes are weighed down by the film’s profound message, while the emotional moments disrupt the thrills. It’s an almost impossible tightrope to walk.

There’s nothing else quite like Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. It feels like a genuinely fresh take on a well-worn story about a lone assassin. Bassam Tariq makes the case that a pulpy film can have morals, emotions and faith.

UK • USA | 2026 | 112 MINUTES | 1.66:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

writer & director: Bassam Tariq.
starring: Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, Abubakr Ali, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone & Laith Nakli.