Starring: Kathleen Turner, Ricki Lake, Sam Waterston, Matthew Lillard

The satirical expression of saccharine domesticity turned violent and the complete obliteration American norms is why nine out of ten Nitehawk staffers agree that Serial Mom is their favorite John Waters film.

Kathleen Turner plays well-meaning suburban mom Beverly R. Sutphin who literally goes above-and-beyond her motherly duty by killing anyone who gets in the way of her family’s success or who makes the slightest offence. She also makes obscene phone-calls, harassing neighbors simply for the joy of it, and kills a jury member (Patty Hearst) because she wore white after Labor Day. Though this is Waters’ campy dark comedy fun, Sutphin’s unraveling grip on reality is more than a little frightening here. Serial Mom is homemaker bliss turned sour at its very finest.