Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there! In honor of the holiday, I compiled a list of some of the greatest Horror Mamas. Of course, it’s a list based on my personal tastes (but I have pretty great tastes). They are in no particular order.
Mrs. Vorhees of FRIDAY THE 13th
Not many people know this, but Jason wasn’t the killer in the original Friday the 13th. In the original, it was Jason’s mama, Mrs. Vorhees. She went around killing people for they did to her son—letting him drown in the lake. That’s one devoted (and demented) mama.
Norma Bates of BATES MOTEL
Yeah, I know, she’s from Psycho but let’s be honest, Vera Farmiga is about ten thousand times better than the mummy in Psycho. She has issues, and her mother/son relationship is a bit sketchy (a lot more than a bit), but she’s definitely one of the best horror mamas out there.
Margaret White of CARRIE
Margaret, uh, kinda seriously messes Carrie up. But she’s a creepy horror mama, even when Julianne Moore plays her.
Renai Lambert of INSIDIOUS
Renai will do whatever it takes to save her son from the darkness that’s taken him—or demon. She does all the smart things when she realizes her house is haunted and moves, only to find out that it’s her son who attracts the deadly creatures.
Rachel Keller of THE RING
Another horror mama that helps her kids instead of damaging them. Rachel will face the creepy well girl and do whatever she has to save her son, who she accidentally exposed to the evil ring video.
Shauna MacDonald of THE DESCENT 
This movie has really little to do with mother/child relationship, but Shauna is a mother. Even though at the very start of the movie, she loses both her husband and her daughter in a car crash. The movie is about her finding the strength to live—or die if she wants, to be with her family.
So who are YOUR favorite horror mamas—good or bad?
Suzy G
Great list! I’m thinking Mrs. Thorn from The Omen… because raising the anti-Christ is a pretty thankless job.
Kim Graff
Suzy GOh, Mrs. Thorn is SUCH a good addition! I can’t believe I forgot about her.
Kathy Palm
A fabulous list! I like Mrs. Torrence from The Shining (either Shelley Duvall from the Kubrick film or Rebecca De Mornay from the mini-series).
Kim Graff
Kathy PalmI haven’t seen THE SHINING mini-series but you imagine Rebecca De Mornay would be great in the role—she’s who I would imagine. Shelley Duvall kinda killed Mrs. Torrence for me, since she was almost the exact opposite of what she was in the book.
Kathy Palm
Kim GraffThe mini-series was so good!
Timon Skees
Great list, Kim.