Aronofsky exceeded my expectations with this extraordinary, satanic film

Rating: 9/10 (19 September 2017)

I had no idea of the magnitude of what I was in for with this film. I went in knowing as little as possible. The trailers convey so little of what this is, and that's definitely for the better. It's one of those films that sneaks up on you and becomes something so monstrous, startling and impactful that you can't remember the last time a film struck you that way and you also might wonder if you'll ever have a cinematic experience like it ever again. It left me speechless for two days before I could review it.
Jennifer Lawrence gives an uncharacteristically innocent and vulnerable performance here, one of her best ever. Javier Bardem is magnetic as her older husband. They live together in a secluded pastoral house when their privacy is soon encroached upon by an uncouth Ed Harris and an odious Michelle Pfieffer. To reveal more would be to give away a bit too much. Let's just say it builds into something allegorical in a way that you just don't see coming. I would argue the best way to prepare for this film is to read as few reviews as possible and just go in cold.
Out of respect for the squeamish and even those not all that squeamish, I will warn you there is a moment of undeniable barbarism near the end, and possibly the biggest reason this film is so virulently hated by some. But other than that, there is not much to be offended by. The work of this filmmaker is academic and metaphorical. Nothing is spelled out, nor should it be. It's a film that is open to several different interpretations, which obviously depend on what you find. Like I said, it's best to just go in cold and emerge with a foundation upon which to parse Aronofsky's stunning creativity that takes place here.
There are moments when the film's excesses might seem preposterous but once you understand that the film's events are meant to stand for something much more universal, the excesses are no longer a flaw but rather a detail that is captured in the filmmaker's sweeping, devilish brush. What humanity has done to the world and what its fate might be in turn, is the biggest question ever grappled with by Aronofsky. He has done it before but not like this. From a distance, this film might look entertaining but also conventional. It is considerably more than that. Bravely recommended to everyone and to the highest degree.