The mother of all allegories goes slightly overboard, still creative and thought-provoking

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2017)

One does not need any deep knowledge of Christian theology to see through the painfully obvious allegory of 'mother!'. As an allegory, it takes itself too seriously, so that every almost every action in the movie feels unnatural, and is not supposed to be taken on face-value but rather as a part of its metaphorical argument. This makes the movie highly creative and thought-provoking, but leaves no room for any realistic character development or plot. All the principal characters are also metaphors for specific qualities, so while their behaviors can seem one-note and jarring, they make perfect sense once you realize the underlying intent. As with any Aronofsky movie, this is not a cosy or comfort watch, and while there is an ominous undertone almost from the beginning, the movie explodes into a orgy of violence and destruction towards the end, albeit again with an allegorical intent.