You probably know that feeling when a movie title just hits different. Hot Mother is exactly that. It sounds like a joke, but honestly, it’s about to be one of the most stressful things you’ll watch in 2026. Toni Collette is finally leaning back into the psychological intensity that made Hereditary an all-timer, and she’s bringing some serious backup this time.
She’s teaming up with Milly Alcock. If you haven't kept up, Alcock is the breakout star from House of the Dragon who is currently slated to be the new Supergirl. Seeing these two powerhouse Aussies share a screen is basically a dream for anyone who loves high-stakes acting.
What is the movie actually about?
Basically, it’s every spa day gone wrong. Collette and Alcock play a mother-daughter duo who head to a remote wellness retreat in the Australian wilderness to fix their fractured relationship. We’ve seen the "reconnection" trope a million times, but then writer-director Lucy Knox flips the script.
The two women get accidentally locked inside a sauna.
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It’s a tiny, windowless, wood-paneled box designed to be relaxing. Except now it's a death trap. No one can hear them. The heat is rising. The psychological walls start closing in just as fast as the physical ones. It’s based on Knox’s 2020 short film that made a massive splash at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Why Hot Mother is such a big deal for Toni Collette
Collette isn't just showing up to sweat on camera. She’s actually producing the film through her company, Vocab Films. She’s clearly picky about her projects lately. Most recently, we saw her in Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 as a prosecutor with a moral crisis, and she just headlined the Netflix series Wayward (where she played a pretty terrifying headmistress of a troubled teen facility).
It feels like she's in a "no-nonsense thriller" era.
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Working with Alex Coco—the guy who produced the 2024 indie darling Anora—signals that this isn't just some throwaway survival flick. It's aiming for that gritty, A24-adjacent prestige that actually gets people talking.
Production and Release Timing
If you’re looking for a trailer right now, you won’t find one. Filming is set to begin in Australia in early 2026. Since it's a relatively contained thriller (mostly set in and around that sauna and spa), the shoot probably won't take forever.
- Production Start: Early 2026.
- Filming Location: The Australian bush (expect some gorgeous but haunting scenery).
- Estimated Release: Likely late 2026 or early 2027.
The Milly Alcock Factor
Honestly, the chemistry here is what I’m most excited about. Alcock has this raw, slightly "over it" energy that will play perfectly against Collette’s trademark "barely holding it together" intensity. In their recent 2025 holiday movie Goodbye June, Collette played a very different, more hippie-vibe character, so seeing her shift back into "survival mode" for this new project is a win for the fans.
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What to watch while you wait
Since Hot Mother is still a ways off, you should probably catch up on her most recent work to see where her head is at:
- Wayward (Netflix): This is a 2025 limited series. It’s dark. It deals with the "troubled teen industry," and Collette is genuinely unsettling in it.
- Under the Stars: If you want something that won't give you a panic attack, this 2025 rom-com features Collette alongside Andy Garcia in Puglia, Italy. It's basically the exact opposite of being trapped in a sauna.
- Juror #2: A classic legal thriller. It’s worth it just to see her and Nicholas Hoult go head-to-head.
Keep an eye on the trades as production starts later this year. This is the kind of movie that thrives on word-of-mouth once those first claustrophobic stills get released.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, keep tabs on Bankside Films and Carver Films—the production companies behind the project. They usually drop first-look images once the initial "look" of the film is locked in during the first few weeks of shooting. Expect a lot of sweat, high-tension close-ups, and probably some of the best acting we'll see next year.