REVIEW: mother!By Quinn OxleySeptember 15, 2017I’m just not sure what you want me to say.

mother! is not for casual moviegoers. In fact, I’d say it’s not even for most moviegoers, and it’s sure as anything not for the faint of heart. I left the movie a trembling, nauseous wreck; I had to call somebody just to bring me back to reality.

I did not like this movie. In fact, I hated it, and if I never see mother! again, it will still be too soon.

But that does not make it a bad movie.

Jennifer Lawrence plays the part of the worn and weary homemaker compellingly enough, and Javier Bardem, as usual, is incredible. The camerawork is a bit claustrophobic, but the sound is enveloping and the environment swallows you whole. Which makes the disturbing parts all the more disturbing.

I will make no judgements as to whether or not you will enjoy mother!. Anyone going in expecting a literal narrative will undoubtedly be disappointed; the film should only be looked at as a haunting, horrifying metaphor.

That being said, the metaphor is one that will prompt a fascinating discussion when imbibed by the right audience. It’s simply that most moviegoers want the answer to the question posed by the trailer - Why are the visitors so intrusive? - and would rather not spend hours interpreting the metaphor. And what you see on the screen, the literality of mother!, especially in the last half-hour, will shock and disgust you.

Is it good, though?

I will be the one to spend hours picking it apart. I am devoted to the metaphor, but I will also spend hours trying to forget what I’ve been subjected to. By the end, the movie stoops so low as to tell you what it stands for, which compromises the whole experience, but overall, Darren Aronofsky has accomplished something truly memorable.

Rating: 6.5/10

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