Mother!

Rating: 6/10 (23 September 2017)

I saw the trailer for this scary movie, I didn't really know what to make of it, but being directed by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Jackie), and critics saying "you'll never forget where you were first time you saw it", I hoped for something interesting. Basically the film begins with a woman burning to death, a man placing a large crystal in a pedestal, the burned house slowly changes into a newly renovated house, and a woman lying in a bed forms. The unnamed woman, known only as Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in the house with her husband, Him (Javier Bardem), he is acclaimed poet suffering with severe writer's block, his creative issues are causing some friction for their tranquil existence, and Mother is beginning to see strange, unsettling things around the house. One day, a Man (Ed Harris) turns up at the house, asking for a room, Him agrees, Mother reluctantly allows it, during his stay the Man has a severe cough, Him assists him, and covers up a fresh wound that Mother gets a glimpse of. The next day, the Man's wife, Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer), also arrives to stay, Mother is becoming increasingly frustrated by the guests. Him begs her to let them to stay, saying it makes the house feel alive, he explains they are fans of his work, and that the Man is dying, he wanted to meet Him before his death. However the Man and Woman accidentally break and shatter the large crystal, Mother and Him decide to kick them out, but as they prepare to leave, the couple's sons, the Oldest Son (Domhnall Gleeson) and his Younger Brother (Brian Gleeson), arrive and start a fight over the will of their father. The Oldest Son, who will be left with nothing, accidentally kills his brother, seemingly fleeing; Him, the Man, and the Woman take the injured son to get help, Mother is left alone in the house, she becomes more and more paranoid and cleans up the mess, the Oldest Son returns briefly, only to steal the Man's wallet. Him returns, telling Mother that the son died and has been buried, soon dozens of people show up for the wake of the son, more and more people arrive and Mother becomes increasingly uncomfortable with their behaviour. Mother is angry and finally snaps when the plumbing breaks and floods the house, she kicks everyone out, she is angry at Him for letting so many people into the house for his own pleasure and ignoring her, soon the argument decreased and the two have sex. The next morning, Mother announces that she is pregnant, Him is elated, and suddenly inspired to complete the poem he has been working on. Months later, Mother is preparing for the arrival of their child, and Him lets her read his newest piece, she is moved to tears because it is so beautiful. The work is publicised and sells out, Mother plans to celebrate preparing dinner, but a group of fans arrive at the house, she barricades herself in the house, but more and more people arrive, and their behaviour becomes increasingly intolerable. The behaviour of the people devolves into them stealing the couple's belongings as keepsakes, Mother becomes increasingly disoriented going around the house, each room devolving into chaos. Him's publisher, Herald (Kristen Wiig), takes part in the madness, executing many of the fans with point-blank gunshots to the head, military men storm the house and arrive to help Mother, but a cult of devoted fans swarm Him, engaging in rituals. In the insanity, Mother starts going into labour, Him takes her to his study, there she gives birth, the havoc outside subsides, but then he tells Mother that the crowd outside want to see the baby, she refuses and holds her baby tight. Mother falls asleep, and he takes the baby outside to the crowd, she chases after Him, the crowd grab the baby, breaking his neck and mutilate the body, Mother is horrified seeing the mutilated corpse and the crowd eating the flesh. Mother is furious and starts stabbing various crowd members with a shard of broken glass, they then turn on her, stripping and beating her until Him intervenes and stops it. Mother escapes the grasp of the crowd, she makes her way to the cellar, where the furnace oil tank is, despite her husband's pleas, Mother sets the oil on fire, destroying the crowd, the house, and some surrounding garden and trees. Both Him and Mother survive the blaze, Mother is horrifically burned, but Him is unharmed, he asks her for the love she has left for him, she agrees to give it to him, he tears her chest open and removes her heart. As he crushes the heart, it reveals a large crystal, he places this on the pedestal, once again the house changes from a burnt-out husk to a newly renovated house, a new Mother forms in a bed and wakes up. Also starring Jovan Adepo as Cupbearer, Stephen McHattie as Zealot and Laurence Leboeuf as Maiden. Lawrence gives a good performance as the domestic goddess who is thrown into hellish situations, Bardem is alright as the poet husband, and there is good support, especially from Pfeiffer being bitchy. I have to say, this was a proper mindf**k movie, I can't remember the last time I saw something so terrifying, disturbing, claustrophobic and shocking, it messes with your mind so much, it is not easy to explain, it has had mixed reactions, but I personally found it entertaining, being so insane, a most scary and watchable psychological horror. Good!