Mother! (2017)

"Have a baby, this is all just setting.”

Rating: 4/5

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence (an introverted people pleasing housewife with a knack for home reno) & Javier Badern (a celebrated author with a narcissistic streak) + a star-studded ensemble.

Premise:  Docile sexy J-Law has spent the last few years fixing up her famous (and much older) husband Javier’s fire-ravaged family mansion, with a side goal of resolving his unrelenting writers block. The mansion has organs, and a crystal heart that Javier prizes with a healthy dose of Gollum energy. Soon, J-Law’s quiet country life is thrown into turmoil as fans of Javier’s work start showing up en-masse at their home. The question continually arises, how high are the stakes?

Recommend:  For lovers of slow-burn psychological horror with a stomach for artsy sci-fi twists and moderate gore (no spoilers but...cannibalism). J-Law is a wonderfully sincere but unreliable narrator while Javier Badern provides his trademark machismo with a softer edge. Their relationship is brought to life by a mischievous cast of minor characters. The setting is visually stunning and the cinematography is fluid. The Eldritch vibes of the mansion provide an uncomfortable and uncertain backdrop to a series of increasingly uncomfortable and uncertain events. Misogynistic themes are nailed in by abrupt moments of disturbing and occasionally comedic (shout-out to Michelle Pfeiffer and Kirsten Wig) violence. The nightmarish insanity of the last 30-ish minutes left me fingering loose ends. Could have been great as a short-form TV series.

In the vein of:  The House (2022), Midsommar (2019), Hereditary (2019), Black Swan (2010).

Mood: Foggy gothic fever dream.