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This year’s release of Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” is one of the most audacious and outright bizarre films to come out of a major studio in recent memory. In spite of the fact that the director has never shied away from controversial subject matter, this deep dive into metaphorical horror finds him working in a register that seems out of character even for the man who directed “The Fountain” and “Noah.” In turns horrifying, riveting and baffling, “mother!” is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It is a film that will leave you speechless at times. It owes a debt to horror masters such as Polanski and De Palma, while also being a film that no one else could have made in the same way as it. At its core, it is a film about the male ego, the female instinct, and the most horrifying thing that can happen in the world: people who expect more from you than you are capable of providing.
When it comes to set-up, “mother!” is a deceptively simple film, taking place entirely in a remote home that was not too long ago destroyed in a fire. Two people, who will only be identified as Him (Javier Bardem) and Mother (Jennifer Lawrence), have been hard at work remodeling the home that he and his mother own. A once-famous writer, he has since lost his motivation to produce new works of art. She’s clearly in charge of the majority of the decisions in the house, as evidenced by her selection of paint colors for one of the still-decrepit rooms.
On one particular night, there is a knock at the door. This couple appears to be miles away from civilization—Aronofsky does an excellent job of making the house feel dangerously isolated—and it’s clear that she isn’t expecting or wanting a visitor, but he jumps at the chance to answer the door. An unknown individual, Man (Ed Harris), enters the house with a story to tell, and the man of the house graciously agrees to let him stay the night. A woman named Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) arrives the following day. While Lawrence’s character is apprehensive about inviting these strangers into their home, Bardem’s character appears willing, and eventually even eager to do so. Of course, the fact that Man confesses to being a huge fan of his writing is a big plus. The male ego needs to be stroked every now and then, and there’s nothing like it.
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To say that things get stranger from here on out would be an understatement of the highest order. The plot of a film that begins in one register, almost as if it could be a film like “Rosemary’s Baby,” evolves into something else entirely, breaking all rules of realism in the process. Without giving anything away, To be fair, Aronofsky makes a few allusions to this early on. Mother places her hand on the wall, and we zoom into the house to see what appears to be something that resembles a beating heart. On the floor, there’s a blood stain that doesn’t appear to be quite right. As the film progresses to one of the most simply mindblowing climaxes in a very long time, Aronofsky’s world becomes increasingly intensely metaphorical, and the film only becomes more intensely metaphorical as Aronofsky’s world becomes more intensely metaphorical. The peak insanity set piece of “mother!” may be Aronofsky’s most remarkable achievement to date in his already illustrious career.
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When it comes to the plot of “mother!” you should be aware that it is far from a traditional horror film. Aronofsky makes it clear from the beginning of the film that he will not be following the rules, and he uses that freedom to explore issues such as gender roles and the differences between artistic and literal expression. However, he is more of a taker than anything else, someone who thrives on encouragement as much as on empathy or emotion, as evidenced by the fact that Bardem’s writer frequently declares that he is inspired by other people. Lawrence’s wife is constantly cleaning up after the people who come into her home, and she is working to make her house a home rather than just a showcase for her husband’s career. Of course, it’s remarkably easy to read a bit of self-reflection into “mother!”—is Aronofsky really the one who chooses to ignore the safety and privacy of his home in order to create something new and original? People will write lengthy interpretations, some of which will be contradictory to one another, and I believe that is a major part of what Aronofsky is attempting here—to work in a style that allows for a variety of interpretations of the film and no simple answers. Those looking for a straight-up horror film should look elsewhere, because this is not it.
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This should not be taken to imply that the phrase “mother!” isn’t frightening at times. Using a stunning amount of close-up photography, Aronofsky collaborates with his regular talented cinematographer Matthew Libatique to create a visually stunning film. As viewers, we are perched on top of Lawrence and Bardem for most of the film. This increases claustrophobia and allows Aronofsky and Libatique to experiment with limited viewpoints, which they do brilliantly. We keep a close eye on Mother and are unable to discern what is going on behind her or to the sides of her. When it comes to a traditional horror experience, the lack of establishing shots takes us out of the game entirely. We often spend the majority of horror films looking for answers—Who is the perpetrator? Who is going to be killed? Who is going to make it? “mother!” defies the conventions of the genre. It thrives on the terror of confusion, which serves as the film’s primary currency. We shouldn’t have expected anything less from Aronofsky, who is known for creating visually stunning films.
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Lawrence’s shoulders bear a great deal of responsibility in this film, and I’m not sure she’ll be able to carry it off. Her character is a difficult one for any actress to play because she is frequently as befuddled as we are, forced to respond to the increasing nightmare that surrounds her, and Lawrence doesn’t quite hit every note perfectly on every take. She also failed to convince me when the film demanded that she ramp up the terror in the final act. I’m not saying she’s terrible in this role, but I’m also not convinced that there aren’t other actors who could have done a much better job with it. Michelle Pfeiffer is the star of the film, and she is more memorable than the rest of the cast, despite the fact that she has a small but juicy role. She marches into a room as if she owns it, and she almost walks away from every scene in which she appears. It’s the role you’ve been hoping she’d get for years, and I’m hoping it will lead to more high-profile work in the future.
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People are going to be enraged by the phrase “mother!” People are going to be ecstatic as a result of it. Such a movie exists—a film that feels like it was purposefully created to be divisive, and one that is completely unapologetic and unrestrained in terms of its creator’s vision, and as a result, it is a divisive film. No matter how much people like or dislike it, and there will be plenty of people on both sides, it is a film that will be talked about, which is exactly what Aronofsky wants and what we should expect more of from our films.
For more personality quizzes check this: Baahubali 2 The Conclusion Quiz.
