Not what I expected going in, but what a ride

Rating: Null/10 (23 September 2017)

Quite a lot has been said about Mother!, but what's most clear after seeing the film is that it knows exactly the type of film it is and what it's trying to say. People can say they're confused but dig a little deeper and the answer is there. So the question shouldn't be whether the film has specific themes in mind. It does, no doubt. The question should instead be whether the execution of those themes was successful. In my opinion, it is. Do I think it was a flawless film? I mean, obviously not. But at the same time I struggle to think of anything it did significantly wrong. The progression of slower- paced atmospheric thriller to full-blown horror insanity is very well done. The camera-work in the way its captures the singular perspective of the lead character is incredibly impressive, and the film continues to build its mystery throughout. It can get a bit repetitive, and I do think it could have been trimmed by about 15 minutes, but the film works spectacularly as a guessing game and then, once you've guessed it, works even better on a thematic and metaphorical level. The performances are splendid and fearless, with Lawrence showing all of us again why she became such a star in the first place, and the directing powerful. The screenplay very much works on a surface level, even if it isn't anything that is incredible, because everything it's representing is supposed to be under the surface (well, up until it's very much in your face about it). If there's one glaring flaw it is that the film's final minutes make everything incredibly clear and hammer the point home, but perhaps that's best for certain audiences. Overall, destined to be one of the most memorable films of the year and certainly another great horror film in a year already filled with them.