Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother arrives in theaters on September 25. This review is based on a screening from the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. According to reviews from the festival, director Bassam Tariq and actor Mahershala Ali have teamed up for a thoughtful, action-tinged crime drama about a devout hit man searching for breast milk in rural Virginia. The project emerged after Marvel Studios’ intended Blade film—which was originally meant to pair Ali with the Mogul Mowgli and Bait director—failed to materialize in its original form.
From Marvel Plans to Rural Virginia Crime Drama
According to production details, the story is born directly from Bassam Tariq’s own experience trying to feed his newborn son while his wife was in the ICU. Ali stars as Latif, a sword-wielding contract killer and former Quran teacher. Latif maintains strict, paradoxical principles, choosing to use blades rather than guns—though the violent results remain just as lethal. His rigid world shatters when his wife, Khadija, played by Shakirah DeMesier, suddenly dies.
Did you know? The repetition in the film’s title is explained via voiceover as an Islamic hadith regarding the central role of mothers in Muslim tradition, where they occupy the top three spots in a list of important figures in a person’s life.
Navigating Faith, Family, and Vigilantism
With Khadija gone, Latif must juggle caring for his rebellious teenage daughter Fatiha, played by Adia, his brash adolescent son Qadir, played by Jahleel Kamara, and his hungry baby girl who rejects formula. According to plot breakdowns, Latif’s vigilantism involves targeting both Christian white supremacists and Islamic terrorists who threaten his community. His mission to feed his infant daughter is complicated by his conservative approach to women. An Arab American security specialist named Mike, played by Laith Nakli, offers help for a price, tying into a larger web of local criminal activity.
That web features a scummy content creator played by Abubakr Ali—Mike’s unruly nephew and Latif’s former student—who faces a bounty on his head over suspicions of pornography and human trafficking. The man hunting him is a Korean American pastor and former soldier named Hwan Yoon, played in what reviewers describe as a maniacally fun role by John Cho. If Latif eliminates the heavily guarded Hwan, his financial and physical needs will be met, pushing the pious assassin into a profound moral dilemma.
A Visually Striking Exploration of Modern American Religion
Director Tariq crafts a detailed simulacrum of a modern America divided by religion yet united by the search for community. According to festival reports, the film juxtaposes Latif’s Islam, Hwan’s Evangelicalism, and the Mormonism of a kindly neighbor. While Hwan is satirized as a gun-toting extremist playing to Confederate flag-waving fans, the purity of his convictions makes him both terrifying and sympathetic. Cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi uses sweltering contrast and saturation to accentuate Ali’s performance, while Son Lux provides a bouncy, intense score that underscores the bleakly comedic mood.
The drama deepens when Latif confronts Khadija’s Christianized brother, played by Tramell Tillman, and domineering community figures like his imam, played by Giancarlo Esposito. According to critics, the film falters slightly in its refusal to fully detail what Latif’s code looks like through preceding action sequences, leaving some major turning points without their full potential weight. Even so, the project succeeds as a visually inviting portrait of a man struggling with his duties as a father and a man of faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother releasing?
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother arrives in theaters on September 25.
Who stars in the film?
The movie stars Mahershala Ali as Latif, alongside John Cho as Pastor Hwan, Shakirah DeMesier as Khadija, Adia as Fatiha, and Jahleel Kamara as Qadir.
Who directed Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother?
The film is directed by Bassam Tariq, known previously for his work on Mogul Mowgli and Bait.
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