"Mother of Flies:" a Labor of Flesh and Blood at the 2025 Chicago Film Festival

Last week saw the official start of the 61st Chicago International Film Festival, one of the largest film events in the United States. This year over 180 new movies are set to be screened, one of those being Yellow Veil Pictures' new folk horror feature Mother of Flies, which recently got picked up by streaming platform, Shudder. Largely made by the same three people, the film is a testament to what can be achieved with a passionate team and a strong vision.

Toby Poser as Solveig

Mother of Flies follows father Jake and his daughter Mickey, a young woman with end stage cancer who after exhausting all other treatment methods decides to seek alternative medicine from a witch named Solveig deep in the woods. Mickey and Jake soon come to realize that Solveig is someone far more sinister than just a benevolent healer and that her miracle cure comes at a steep price. It's a folk horror film entirely taking place in the lush green wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

A cursory look at the credits for Mother of Flies reveals that the film is a labor of love by the same three people who directed, wrote, shot, edited, designed, and starred in the entire project. Those three being Zelda Adams, John Adams, and Toby Poser who just so happen to be a family, with Zelda being the daughter of John and Toby. Mother of Flies is actually the familial trio's third feature film after Hellbender in 2021 and Where the Devil Roams in 2023. Averaging a new feature film every three years is not only impressive, it's proof that this creative family isn't stopping any time soon. As of now, The Adams family is the horror genre's best kept secret and definitely a trio to look out for.

It's clear from the get go that this is a very low budget film, judging by the size of the cast, crew, and number of locations. Nevertheless, Mother of Flies is beautifully shot, with gore and special effects that rival those of a major production studio. There were so many moments throughout the runtime that sent a genuine chill down my spine or a cringe across my face. The film faces the occasional pitfall of feeling slow and meandering with a little too much B-roll and downtime, but those who last until the end will be treated with a jaw-dropping climax, resembling a folk horror version of 2024's Immaculate.

John and Zelda Adams on set

Mother of Flies is certainly rough around the edges, as most independent films are, but at no point during the runtime did I not find myself impressed by what one family managed to create. It genuinely inspired me to go out into the woods with a bunch of friends and make something of our own, and isn't that what film is supposed to do in the first place?

With all of that being said, Mother of Flies is yet another win for the Adams family, further proving that they are voices worth looking out for. As it turns out, when you're looking for your creative dream team, sometimes you don't need to look any further than your own flesh and blood.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more coverage of this year's Chicago International Film Festival!