Bassam Tariq’s new film, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, stars Mahershala Ali as Latif, a Muslim man in Houston who works as a hitman. The movie opens with Latif burying his wife, leaving him to care for their three children, including a nursing baby allergic to formula. Unlike the action-driven revenge plots of films like John Wick, this movie focuses on family, parenthood, and the complex role of motherhood in Islamic teachings. Tariq and Ali previously worked on Marvel’s Blade reboot, a project that faced long delays in development. Ali trained extensively for the role, and while Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is not an action film, some of the precise, controlled swordplay echoes the style he developed for that project. The fight scenes are fast, clean, and highly satisfying, adding a layer of cinematic flair to the story. The title of the film comes from a well-known hadith, or saying, attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, which emphasizes the importance of mothers in Islam. The film uses this theme to explore how deeply religious beliefs can shape personal and moral choices. John Cho plays Pastor Hwan Yoon, an Iraq War veteran turned evangelical leader who leads a small militia. Hwan believes God wants him to eliminate what he considers sexual deviance, and he targets a Muslim porn producer linked to Latif’s past. Latif, struggling to find breast milk for his baby, is caught between Hwan’s group and others from his former criminal life. Tariq delves into how different characters interpret their faith. Hwan sees no gap between his desires and what he believes God wants, while Latif wrestles with the distance between his actions and his spiritual ideals. The film portrays religion as a natural part of the characters’ moral world, without offering clear-cut messages about the peaceful nature of Islam. A subtle joke in the film notes that Latif has "stinky Ramadan breath" during a tense moment, highlighting the mix of humor and seriousness in the narrative. Ali’s performance is marked by calm and control, even in high-stakes scenes. Tariq compared him to Buster Keaton, a classic comedian known for his poise amidst chaos. After the screening, writer and critic Hanif Abdurraqib noted that while Latif is a skilled fighter, the film is equally interested in exploring broader themes. Ali’s strength lies in his ability to convey emotion and depth in the quieter, less dramatic moments of the story.