Mahershala Ali plays a hitman father of three in TIFF premiere Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
Mahershala Ali stars as Latif, a philosophical Black Muslim hitman and widowed father of three, in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, which had its world premiere as a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival TIFF.
The film is a 2026 production from the United States, in English, with a runtime of 112 minutes, according to the festival catalogue TIFF. It is an Orion Pictures feature directed, produced and written by Bassam Tariq Deadline.
Latif is raising three children after the death of his wife. They are teenage Fatiha, played by Adia, 10-year-old Qadir, played by Jahleel Kamara, and baby girl Aziza Deadline.
He has a strict code of behaviour. Latif refuses to use a gun and only takes assignments if the target deserves it. Much of the action follows him fighting out of intense situations while trying to find fresh breast milk for Aziza, who refuses to feed.
Laith Nakli plays Mike, Latif’s handler. Abubakr Ali plays Haddy, Mike’s nephew, described as a sleazy porn-impresario. John Cho plays the villain, Pastor Hwan Yoon, leader of an aggressive Christian Nationalist militia and cult The Hollywood Reporter. Tramell Tillman also joined the cast.
The title comes from a well-known Muslim saying. It is part of a hadith, a recorded saying linked to the Prophet, about how one treats a parent. The film takes its name from a famous parable about an encounter with the Prophet.
Tariq is a Houston-raised filmmaker and the new film is set in Houston Houston Chronicle. His debut feature was Mogul Mowgli in 2020. The new project grew from the ashes of an attempt by Tariq and Ali to collaborate on a remake of Marvel’s vampire film Blade.
Ali said before filming that he was “yearning” to perform action on screen The Hollywood Reporter. The festival appearance is Tariq’s TIFF debut.
What makes this stand out for general audiences is the mix. The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a gripping crime film with a big, aching heart The Hollywood Reporter. The gunfights and chases run alongside school runs, sibling arguments and night feeds.
