Forget 'Other Mommy,' Prime Video's Psychological Thriller Is So Good, You Can Rewatch It Multiple Times

Published Oct 9, 2026, 7:21 AM EDT

Mitchell Brown is a Wisconsin-based writer, film fanatic, and graduate of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who has written for various publications covering film analysis, reviews (both classic and contemporary), and movie news. He's also a screenwriter, having written multiple spec scripts. When he's not watching movies, writing movies, or writing about the films he's already seen...no, that about covers it.

Imaginary friends are a creepy concept in general (at least, when not related to a Foster's Home or Ryan Reynolds in a top hat). As horror movies have long made clear, when kids have special friends that no one else can see, it's an early warning sign that bad things are imminent. The more innocent-sounding the name (like Mr. Boogie or Captain Howdy), the more dangerous the friends often are. With the release of Other Mommy and everyone's Halloween season desire to find the perfect horror double feature, there's another horror diamond that's hiding in the streaming rough about a monstrous entity posing as a nice friend. It plays like if Drop Dead Fred was a horror movie (on purpose), is both surprisingly creative and visually stunning, and takes full advantage of what's otherwise a simple horror premise. It takes the form of 2019's Daniel Isn't Real.

The story follows Luke (Miles Robbins), a lonely college student dealing with the aftermath of a troubled childhood and his sense of responsibility towards a well-meaning but disturbed mother (Mary Stuart Masterson). After a visit home goes terribly wrong, Luke unknowingly releases his childhood imaginary friend Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger) from the confines of his mother's dollhouse. At first, having Daniel around is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. But the longer he sticks around, the more obvious it becomes how dangerous he really is. Soon, the film begs the question of how you get rid of something that nobody realizes is really there.

Daniel IS Real

Image via Samuel Goldwyn Films

Early on, the movie hints that Daniel's existence might be an early sign of Luke suffering from schizophrenia, especially during several scenes of him interacting with his mom or with his therapist (Chukwudi Iwuji). This is a horror movie released after Hereditary, so naturally, the subtext of generational trauma has to be in there somewhere. The film, however, scraps that ambiguity pretty quickly and makes it clear that Daniel is more than just an extension of Luke's mind. He's aware of things that Luke can't see and is even around when he's asleep. This is beneficial for Luke at first, both socially and academically, but since he apparently hasn't seen enough Stephen King adaptations, he doesn't know that slicked back hair and dressing in all black means a character is, at best, nefarious, and at worst, a placeholder for the devil. And like a proper manipulator, Daniel uses these initial perks to gain Luke's trust and lower his guard.

The scary part about Daniel is that even when Luke realizes that he's dangerous and doesn't want him around, it's already too late, and he can't get rid of him. Since he's not imaginary, Luke can't just "Tyler Durden" him out of existence by having a character arc and learning to be more assertive. He's there to stay. Daniel is an introvert's worst nightmare: a friend who's always around, and the film plays around with Daniel's constant presence. Sometimes he's far in the background, out of focus in the corner of the frame, or in the reflection of a mirror. It makes him more threatening, because no matter what, he's always there.

Daniel Makes Luke Question His Sanity

Image via Samuel Goldwyn Films

Director Adam Egypt Mortimer was slightly ahead of the curve of Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man in showing the mental toll it takes on a character to live alongside an ever-present threat (and, in this case, one that can physically harm Luke and alter his reality, even if he can't interact with anything else), and how it makes them feel powerless and look insane when they try to ask for help. People are quick to talk about how good Schwarzenegger is in the titular role, and he is great, but it's the dynamic he shares with Robbins that sells it. Contrasting his charismatic personality with Luke's more quiet and composed nature really shows why Luke would gravitate towards Daniel, and it makes Robbins' performance in the last act even more unnerving.

In addition to its tension and psychological horror, Daniel Isn't Real gets surprisingly horrific, to the point of being Lovecraftian. From the very first...thing...that happens in the movie, to the position the characters are in at the start of the third act, the story goes in wildly creative directions that are unexpected for a film with an indie movie budget, utilizing hellscapes, cosmic imagery, and body horror. It even leans into the imaginary friend angle in the final confrontation between Luke and Daniel in the most visceral, awesome, fun way. If any of that seems enticing, Daniel Isn't Real is currently streaming on Prime Video and Netflix.

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  Miles Robbins

  Luke Nightingale

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  Patrick Schwarzenegger

  Daniel

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  Cassie

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  Mary Stuart Masterson

  Claire