Mother !     3.0***

        I can't explain this horror movie without giving something away. But I will say this; This film is unlike anything else out there and this is largely due to  Director Darren Aronofsky (did “Black swan”) pushing the envelope and crossing boundaries. It is not a remake of Rosemary's Baby despite there being some similarities. It will bring you an intense feeling of despair and disbelief. But this is what the horror genre should look like,  It's a slow burn that explodes at the end with something beyond any normal functioning mind.

(That said, A WARNING: This movie is intensely horrific, disturbing and graphic and people should not see it unless they are prepared to be shocked, shaken and horrified. There is a sequence toward the very end as well as the ending itself that is beyond words or belief !! )

Jennifer Lawrence plays “Mother’, a nameless woman married to Javier Bardem, a nameless man. They live in a large house that was carefully rebuilt by Lawrence and is located within a wilderness as he is trying to find inspiration for writing a new book. Suddenly, an unknown husband and wife( Ed Harris & Michelle Pfeiffer) come to their house and are allowed to stay by Bardem despite Lawrence’s objections.  I don't want to go any further than that, but I will say that at this point there is a sudden escalation of events which is incredibly surprising and very bizarre. I wasn't  sure exactly what was happening but I was pulled into the movie by the very unique story and the amazing performances from  Lawrence,  Bardem,  Harris, and  Pfeiffer.  Although it seemed like a traditional psychological thriller at the start, by the second and third acts, the film derails into one of the most terrifying, disturbing and absolutely haunting pieces of art  put on film. It is the type of horror that goes right through your skin and your bones, and psychologically affects you both during and after the movie is over.

From the start you are launched into movie from the perspective of Mother(Lawrence) (not a single name is ever said in the movie for any character). The movie uses almost entirely a hand-held, often shaky camera with many, many close ups of Mother…. over her shoulder shots, into her face shots and point of view shots to emphasize what she’s seeing and feeling and show her disbelief and fear/horror about what is happening.

 

Rated R ( a strong R) for strong disturbing violent content, some sexuality, nudity and language.