Shocking Jennifer Lawrence Thriller Now On Paramount+ Is Perfect for October: “It’s a performance of the century”
While much of the mainstream internet is focused on Jennifer Lawrence’s new Netflix comedy, No Hard Feelings, horror fans are turning to a film of a much different vibe, and for a good reason. Darren Aronofsky’s film mother! is a quiet and unnerving portrayal of vulnerability and isolation heavily driven by Lawrence’s amazing performance against a polarizing yet stellar Javier Bardem.
Released in December 2017, mother! was written and directed by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan) and notably stars Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games), Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), Ed Harris (The Abyss, Westworld the series), and Michelle Pfeiffer (What Lies Beneath).
The film opens with an immediate sense of dread brought on by the vast and unknowable forest surrounding the couple’s new home. In a bit of foreshadowing, Lawrence herself steps back from the overwhelming weight of the unknown lurking just beyond the tree line.
The encroaching sense of unease quickly enters the home when a mysterious stranger, played by Ed Harris, arrives later that evening seeking a room, claiming to have mistaken the home for a bed and breakfast.
The film’s tension is slowly stirred as we follow Jennifer Lawrence’s character, an expectant mother, as she goes about settling into her new home. The camera follows Lawrence in tight shots and over-the-shoulder framing, which restricts the viewer’s perspective and further enhances the overall distress of the film.
Read Also: Mother! Review – A Daring, Bold Film That Is a Pure Nightmare Put to Screen
As more and more strangers arrive at their door, we wonder why her husband is so quick to invite them in. It’s as though we, as the viewers, are the only ones who catch the confusion and growing trepidation in Lawrence’s face.
Fraught with symbolism, the film’s central and confining location of the house strikingly acts as a metaphor for the womb. A place that is meant to be safe, a place where love is nurtured and life created.
However, the idea of a house as a home is quickly subverted. The home creaks and groans as every new guest arrives, each more intrusive than the last. The home’s deterioration mirrors Lawrence’s psychological downward spiral as they seemingly decay in parallel, and viewers feel just as trapped as she is when we quickly realize something is terribly wrong.
We aren’t the only ones who feel this way about mother! Check out what other viewers are saying about the divisive film below:
Check out the trailer for mother! here:
The film is currently streaming on Paramount+. Check out what fans have had to say below, and then go watch it for yourself. Let us know if you found the film as unnerving as these folks did, and drop us a comment on X: @DreadCentral Facebook: @DreadCentral or Instagram: @DreadCentral.
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