A Messed Up, Yet Powerful Experience

Rating: 8/10 (25 September 2017)

Horror films have been on a roll lately, but if anyone can combine genres and flip his story on its head, it's director Darren Aronofsky. Films such as The Wrestler and Black Swan were some of my favourite films in their respective years of release, so I was naturally very excited to see Mother!. Although I will be talking very highly about this film for the most part, my initial viewing experience of it was slightly frustrating. Aronofky remains as talent as ever and I truly look forward to all of his works to come, but this was definitely on the lower tier of his resume, even though there are some incredible moments. Mother! will definitely have its audience that falls in love with its material, but a word of caution has to be presented to those who don't know what they're getting themselves into.
When Mother! begins, it feels very much like a creepy romance that begins to spiral out of control once a few unexpected guests arrive at their home. Jennifer Lawrence plays an unnamed character, and while her husband seems a little off, things seem somewhat normal until the guests arrive. You may be draw in by its creepiness or the sense of mystery surrounding the events, but there's something that just doesn't seem right either. Steam surely picks up by the time the film reaches its final act, and I quite honestly loved where the film ends up, but it took a little too long to peak my full interest to say that I loved this movie overall.
By the time the guests arrive, the core plot sets itself in motion, which definitely becomes more interesting than anything leading up to that portion of the film, but again, something still felt missing. The mysteriously written screenplay was very well-crafted, in that I found myself wondering what was going to happen next. You know a film is well made when it has you guessing throughout its entire duration, but it seemed as though it wasn't building to anything extravagant. That being said, the third act of Mother! gives you more answers than you could possibly have asked for (maybe even a little too much).
From insanely brutal imagery, to some pretty terrific set design, to a revelation throughout the last 20 minutes, Mother! becomes a film that's far better than anything it sets itself up to be throughout its first two acts. This is why I find this film completely frustrating in retrospect, because it takes far too long to really become incredible with its storytelling. Yes, there are things set up within its first act, giving off the impression that it's just bizarre to be bizarre, except there is more to the film than meets the eye (which I truly can't explain with words here). This is a movie that's worth watching for its final act, and the third act has to be seen to really be believed.
In the end, this is a very impressive film as a whole, but it takes a little too long to get where it needs to be in order to impress its audience. I found myself slightly bored or a little too excited to see what happens next, which slightly took away from the experience in my opinion, but it compensates with one of my favourite endings to a film all year. Mother! isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and I won't even be calling it one of the best films that 2017 has to offer, but if you're looking for a messed up roller coaster ride that leaves you breathless by the end, even if it's a little uneven, then I definitely recommend Mother! to you. With all of that said, here is a warning that some people need. Before going into this film, please be weary that there are some extremely horrifying imagery towards the end of this film. Some people will regret they watched it for these images, but if you're up for anything, then sit back and enjoy this crazy ride.