Bad Momsbecame an instant hit when it premiered in 2016, hilariously digging into the messy side of motherhood in a way that felt both bitingly specific and shockingly universal, raunchy as hell yet somehow sweet and sentimental, too. And that’s not to mention the chemistry between the three leads – stressed and overworked Amy (Mila Kunis), anxious and innocent Kiki (Kristen Bell), and crass and laid-back Carla (Kathryn Hahn) – was undeniable.Bad Momsshowed a trio of unlikely friends (and enemies –Christina Applegateas the uptight antagonist Gwendolyn is deliciously evil) learning to let go of some of their responsibilities and find themselves again.
We then got the gift ofA Bad Moms Christmasunder our proverbial tree a year later, which proved just as unhinged and delightful. The sequel honed in on the specific challenges mothers face during the holidays between decorating, hosting, gifting, and – most importantly – dealing with their own moms. In addition to our main trio, the film introduced us to Amy’s control-freak mother, Ruth (Christine Baranski), Kiki’s overbearing helicopter mom, Sandy (Cheryl Hines), and Carla’s irresponsible mother, Isis (Susan Sarandon) – all perfectly cast. Comedic and authentic, it became an instant holiday classic. So why did we stop there? Christmas isn’t the only holiday, and it shouldn’t be the onlyBad Momssequel, either.
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WhileA Bad Moms Christmasseamlessly captures the chaos of the holiday season, there’s still so much to mine from that magical – and, at times, miserable – time of year. After all, Christmas isn’t what kicks off the holiday season – that honor belongs to Thanksgiving. Sometimes the fourth Thursday of November is the first time you’re seeing extended family in months. That stress, combined with the expectation to spend a week thawing and cooking a 20-pound bird in a cramped kitchen you’re also somehow expected to keep spotless for company, is a special kind of hell. And if you somehow manage to survive the meal without too much fanfare, there’s the mad rush of Black Friday shopping right after.A Bad Moms Christmasintroduced the in-laws and saw our moms braving the stores, andA Bad Moms Thanksgivingcould amp up all that tension tenfold by showing an even wilder meal and mall expedition.
Christmas isn’t the last of the holiday season, either. There’s still a week until it’s a wrap on the most wonderful time of the year with New Year. ‘Tis the season for champagne-fueled shenanigans and spiked eggnog-incited existential crises alike.A Bad Moms New Yearwould provide an excellent opportunity for another party montage of epic proportions, as well as the chance to touch on all the pressures and anxieties that come before the clock strikes midnight. Seeing our trio take on a “new year, new me” attitude with New Year’s resolutions (can you imagine Carla doing a 180 and trying to get her shit together? Or Kiki vowing to go through a rebellious phase?) could show different, hilarious sides to them all before they realize baby steps are okay and they’re already great just the way they are.
Parenthood is the most terrifying job, and Halloween is the most terrifying holiday – it’s a natural combination. Let’s just think about the possibilities. Ruth’s Christmas decorations were next level, and I firmly believe any haunted house she was in charge of would cause vomiting and perhaps even some hospitalizations. Gwendolyn’s strict list of rules in the first movie’s bake sale would make buying allergy-appropriate candy a nightmare. (This goes forA Bad Moms Easter, too – another very necessary movie.) Amy worked all night on her kid’s Nixon head for a school project – just imagine what kind of costumes she would toil over for them to wear to a middle school Halloween party or the artistry she could unleash with a pumpkin, a carving knife, and a dream. Carla is definitely enjoying her own special candy in the form of weed gummies – which she will, of course, introduce Kiki to, to dramatic effect. In the end, we would find that the real horror lies in the expectations we put on moms and that the PTA is still more frightening than any ghost or goblin.
The franchise is literally calledBad Moms, so it’s inexcusable that we haven’t gotten a movie centered around the day set aside just for them. Or rather, the day wesayis set aside just for them. Because, let’s be honest, even on Mother’s Day, moms are making sacrifices. From pretending a heartfelt but inedible breakfast in bed is Michelin-star worthy to smiling through the pain when the kids give them flowers ripped from the garden they just painstakingly planted, sometimes, all moms want on this day is to get together and commiserate with each other. Thus presenting the perfect opportunity for our trio to unite and celebrate themselves.A Bad Moms Mother’s Daywould act as a lovely ode to its target audience. We might as well makeA Bad Moms Father’s Daywhile we’re at it, too.
Speaking of the men in these moms' lives,Bad Momssets up some great romantic relationships at various stages – the married Kiki and Kent (Lyle Brocato), the steady Amy and Jessie (Jay Hernandez), and the new but passionate Carla and Ty (Justin Hartley) – and a Valentine’s Day-themed film would be a chance to dive into those more deeply via a triple date for the ages. We saw in the first film, Amy struggled to find something that wasn’t a, in Carla’s words, “mom bra” – there’s no doubt they’d have to rally around her again to find something stylish for a romantic night out. We’re told Kiki and Kent’s brand of romance consists of “having sex every night afterBlue Bloods,” so a date night with them is sure to be interesting. Carla and Ty are one of the most endearingly inappropriate movie couples that have ever existed, plus Carla is known to be great with wax, so seeing their spark ignite on the most romantic night of nights would surely be memorable. Women 40 and over so rarely get to be seen as objects of desire, andA Bad Moms Valentine’s Daycould be an incredible exception.
Motherhood can be monotonous, with the routine of getting the kids ready for school, going to work, and making dinner every day growing tedious. Groundhog Day is a genius way to explore this concept – and even a chance for it to play with genre. For example, both the 1993 filmGroundhog Dayand the recent Netflix seriesRussian Dollcombine comedy with fantasy to have their protagonist live the same day over and over. Let’s get a little sci-fi with it and have one of our moms caught in a time loop, once again falling into the trap of trying to accomplish every task on an impossible to-do list before realizing that it’s okay not to be perfect and ask for help every once in a while.
TheBad Momsfranchise nails it when it comes to physical gags. Who could forget the scene of Carla explaining circumcision using Kiki’s sweatshirt or Amy spilling spaghetti all over herself while driving? Some of its most fun moments are when our moms are reveling in immaturity, a la drunkenly tearing up the supermarket or stealing a tree from Lady Footlocker. April Fool’s Day is a prime opportunity to lean into both of these things with a legendary prank war.Bad Momsis hysterical, and April Fool’s Day was literally created for laughs – it’s a match made in hilarious heaven.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I can confidently say that there are three things the gays universally love: brunch, pop music, and, most importantly, middle-aged actresses. Therefore, making aBad Momsmovie centered around Pride Month would be a true act of allyship. It’s also worth noting that Carla is a bicon (that’s short for “bisexual icon”), kissing multiple men and women before eventually dating Ty. Addressing and celebrating her sexuality would be a legendary moment of groundbreaking representation, as positive portrayals of bi characters are, unfortunately, still rare.
It’s a criminal that we currently only have twoBad Momsmovies, but I have hope that STX Entertainment will eventually make this right and give us the (minimum) dozen sequels we deserve. If I’m being honest, we deserve a fresh piece ofBad Momscontent 365 days a year, but starting with every holiday is a good place to begin.
