Something ancient is waiting—and in Mother Knows Best, it’s tied to blood.

Blending psychological horror with deep-rooted Pacific folklore, the New Zealand production has officially wrapped filming in Auckland, setting the stage for a chilling story that feels both intimate and mythic.

Frankie Adams (The Expanse) leads the film alongside Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) and Keisha Castle-Hughes (Game of Thrones).

Adams plays Talia, a woman who survives a near-fatal incident in the Pacific—only to give birth to a Frankie Adams premature daughter under mysterious circumstances. But the child’s existence isn’t just unusual… it may have been foretold.

Drawn to her partner’s remote family estate in New Zealand for what should be a tense but ordinary Christmas reunion, Talia quickly realizes something is wrong. The family is powerful. Secretive. And they’ve been waiting.

What begins as unease spirals into something far more disturbing as Talia uncovers a hidden connection between her child, an ancient and largely forgotten Pacific prophecy, and a shadowy group determined to reclaim what they believe is theirs.

And they won’t stop.

As the truth closes in, Talia is forced into a desperate fight—not just to understand what’s happening, but to protect her daughter from a destiny that may already be sealed.

Directed by Kiel McNaughton (My Life Is Murder) and written by John Argall, the film leans into cultural mythology as a source of horror—grounding its terror in identity, ancestry, and belief.

The cast features a strong lineup of Māori and Pacific talent, including Jayden Daniels (Evil Dead Rise), Ariāna Osborne (Mārama), James Rolleston (Boy), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Predator: Badlands), Vinnie Bennett (Fast & Furious 9), Kawakawa Fox-Reo (Primitive War), and Eve Palmer.

Producer Kerry Warkia helps bring the project together, with international sales handled by Essential Film Group ahead of Cannes. Umbrella Entertainment will distribute the film across Australia and New Zealand.

According to McNaughton, Mother Knows Best aims to push the boundaries of New Zealand genre filmmaking—merging psychological horror with cultural storytelling in a way that feels both grounded and deeply unsettling.

Because in this story, the real horror isn’t just what’s coming.

It’s what was always meant to return.