The Mother and the Bear

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The Mother and the Bear

Jan 2026

1h 40m

Drama

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

90%

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20 Reviews

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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, 2026

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, 2026

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

Sep 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, 2026

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, 2026

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, 2026

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, 2026

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

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