The Mother and the Bear

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The Mother and the Bear

Jan 2026

1h 40m

Drama

Comedy

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Tomatometer

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90%

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20 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Sara is shocked to find her daughter has fallen into a temporary coma after a late-night slip on ice. Sara, travelling over 9000 kilometres, finds herself in the harsh, unfamiliar, and unforgiving environment of Winnipeg in the winter.

Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

Jan 8

While not everything clicks in The Mother and the Bear, the film will keep you warm enough during the dark days of winter.

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Brandon Yu

New York Times

Jan 2

The film, directed by Johnny Ma, bears a bit of charm, but a lot more bland earnestness. It treads ultimately familiar ground around immigrant dissonances between parent and child and the struggle to express love and acceptance.

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Ritesh Mehta

IndieWire

09/16/2024

B

Ma directs Kim with remarkable clarity in his third feature, a stylistic and thematic departure from his previous work, which includes 2016’s psychological thriller Old Stone and the more recent To Live To Sing.

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Valerie Kalfrin

AWFJ.org

Jan 29

A frosty relationship between an overbearing mother and her daughter thaws in unexpected ways. This is a midlife coming-of-age story about a reluctant woman who comes to see her daughter in whole new light.

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Randall King

Winnipeg Free Press

Jan 10

3.5/5

Winnipeg can look pretty bleak on film, but Briones, outsider though he may be, proves adept in finding the visual magic of this godforsaken place.

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Bobby LePire

Film Threat

Jan 10

9/10

The Mother And The Bear is a very different spin on the romantic comedy and self-actualization tale. By combining the two, Johnny Ma creates a distinct and engaging story.

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Andrew H.

@haus_of_H Jan 4

Charming, strange and ultimately quite heartwarming. Anchored by a strong central performance and some unusual and interesting directorial choices. Incredible score.

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Synopsis

Sara is shocked to find her daughter has fallen into a temporary coma after a late-night slip on ice. Sara, travelling over 9000 kilometres, finds herself in the harsh, unfamiliar, and unforgiving environment of Winnipeg in the winter.

Director: Johnny Ma
Producer: Niv Fichman, Juan de Dios Larraín
Screenwriter: Johnny Ma
Distributor: Dekanalog
Production Co: Rhombus Media, Thin Stuff Productions, Fabula
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 2, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 40m