I’m a giant scaredy cat. I can’t watch full-on slasher horror movies, nor can I watch the new wave of horror, like The Conjuring. Even the ads for The Conjuring made me jump out of my skin, frankly. But I don’t mind a good ghost story/horror if it’s told in more high-brow, dramatic way. Like, I can watch Carrie, The Omen or Rosemary’s Baby and not really be affected. While I literally said “sure, Jan” to the teaser trailer for Mother!, the full length trailer was just released and… I can sort of see what Darren Aronofsky was aiming for. The vibe is highly stylized horror, a combination of What Lies Beneath (a very underrated horror movie, also starring Michelle Pfeiffer) and, like, Rosemary’s Baby. Here’s the trailer:
There was some bitching about the fact that Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem play husband-and-wife, and their age difference is notable – she’s 26, he’s 48. But I actually think that’s the point, within the story? Like, an older man married a much-younger woman so he can manipulate, gaslight and terrify her. Ten bucks says that’s part of the story. Anyway, I hate to admit this, but I actually think this looks interesting. I’m not sure I would see this in theaters, but Aronofsky can do horror. That’s what Black Swan was, really: a ballet horror, or a horror set in the ballet world.
Posters courtesy of Mother!.
This is not my type of movie but I’ll watch anything with Ed Harris in it and the trailer actually does look interesting. I get the impression that it might not have been the best idea to put him, Javier Bardem and Michelle frickin’ Pfeiffer in a movie with Jennifer Lawrence though. At least in the trailer it looks like they’re all giving her acting lessons. Yikes. Let’s hope that’s not the case.
Also, that damn poster is offensively gross.
I had a feeling she would overact in this and yea I stand by that statement. I’ll probably catch this on demand later
After Sam Shepard ‘s death I rewatched The Right Stuff. Damn they were fine.
I’ll watch this for Harris and Domhnall Gleeson. He ‘s not featured in the trailer but I read his name on the credits. I’ve found him terrific in everything I ‘ve seen him.
I think Domhall is in there, blink if you miss him kind of thing. When she bends down to pick up the broken picture, I think that’s him behind her.
I suspect this film is going to demonstrate (yet again) that Jennifer Lawrence is a top-class actor, well capable of holding her own against the likes of Bardem et al. I don’t see ‘overacting’ in that trailer: I do see her doing what she does very well, which is delivering a high-intensity, emotionally-charged performance that few of her peers can match. If you’re playing the central ‘victim’ character in a horror/thriller, then you need to emote or the whole film falls flat.
As for the film, I’d be a little worried whether it really breaks new ground – but Aronofsky rarely makes a bad film, and even his flops are interesting.
“Aronofsky rarely makes a bad movie” of course, if you take into account that he gets most of his genius ideas from old foreign movies. Black Swan? Rip off of a 1997 Japanese movie called Perfect Blue. Same plot, just a couple of changes (the pop idol/actress becomes a ballerina). Actually he was so obsessed with the movie he paid a lot of $$ to be able to use a similar scene shot for Requiem for a Dream. Genius indeed.
I’m here for Michelle Pfeiffer only. I missed seeing her in movies.
I think we’re about to go through a Michelle resurgence. She was good in The Wizard of Lies, has this coming out along with Murder on the Orient Express later this year and Ant-Man and the Wasp next year. We could always use some more Michelle.
Such a lovely actress. One of my favorites is her performance in THE AGE OF INNOCENCE.
If you haven’t seen it, check out Cheri. A lovely performance about an aging courtesan with Rupert Friend and Kathy Bates. Love Field is another really nice performance. But Fabulous Baker Boys and that scene on top of the piano is my favorite
It looks sort of overblown to me. I like slow, creeping horror that comes to a crescendo. This looks like 2/3 of the movie would be the crescendo! Way too many intense scenes. It loses the impact.
Guillermo del toro accomplished such amazing creeping horror in “Orphanage”. Also many Korean and Japanese movies achieve this. Those are my favorite horror movies.
But I’m a horror fan so I’ll probably go see this anyway! Plus I love me some Javier.
You can’t judge a film’s build and pacing by the trailer.
Trailers are not edited/made by the directors, and they have their own objective (which is usually the opposite of the director). Trailers may give away something the director would prefer the audience doesn’t know, or may give a false impression of the tone of the movie. But a trailer’s goal is to commercialize the film and get asses in seats. Trailer editors are not on the same team as the film makers.
I really liked what lies beneath! For some reason the trailer reminded me of Rebecca not sure why
Looks pretty good but I do feel like I’ve already seen this film, plot seems very similar
to loads of other thriller/horrors. Big house in the country, renovating it, strangers, is the husband a threat etc…I’ll still watch it though 😃
And HONK for pfeiffer and her amazing cheekbones 😍
The movie is based on Rosemary’s Baby, so the story isn’t new. That also explains the big age gap between Jen and Javier.
I will pass and wait for some other form of viewing. That poster looks horrific.
The age gap is surly part of the plot. And yes I’m here for it, it’s great to see Jennifer in something that isn’t commercial or Oscar baity. It’s looks like a full arthouse, festival movie and I’m here for it.
me too! she is not my favorite actress b/c she’s always ACTING!! but i am deeply into the rest of the cast and director. aronofsky’s casting has never been wrong (think marlon waynes in requiem for a dream – who knew?). i can’t imagine he lost his instincts all of a sudden to miscast the lead of this movie.
I thought the same…very Rosemary’s Baby.
I’m sorry but this movie just doesn’t do anything for me. Hard pass
Yep. No thanks.
I love horror movies and this looks a little like it’s from another era plus it looks like there’s a psychological aspect to it so I will watch. Also glad to see Michelle Pfieffer is in it! I do hate to see Javier’s face that looks aged(because that’s normal) to Jennifer’s no wrinkle baby face, but that’s the norm in Hollywood I guess. In Rosemary’s Baby, the husband looked older than Mia Farrow, it probably helps for the innocent young wife angle they are going for so whatever.
The older, wealthy sophisticated husband and young wife is a common element of Gothic literature and film. Kaiser and posters mentioned ROSEMARY’S BABY and REBECCA [two of my all time favorite films] If this is a fraction as good, I will be first in line.
So Michelle Pfeiffer is the older Jennifer Lawrence. Michelle has come to the house to warn Jennifer that Javier is trying to kill her for her money. Don’t know the plot because the director was to keep it hush hush, but I got a feeling.
I’ll see it cuz I love a good spook but rolling eyes with Jennifer. She may have had a chance at being a good actress five plus years ago, but she’s developed the same expressionless mouth agape pose in every scene I can’t stand (like the vapid gaze of Dany in GOT). The only way to escape the manufactured (believed to be sexy) open mouth syndrome is to grow up, mature and realize how stupid it looks.
J-Law is on a totally different acting level than Emilia Clarke, and plenty of others. She provides more expressiveness in her acting in the two minutes of this trailer than plenty of other stars have done in their lives. I’m not getting the ‘she can’t really act’ argument…
She is a solid actress, but not the new Meryl the way she was presented a few years ago. She’s on the level of Emma Stone or Keira Knightley, for an example, maybe a bit below Brie Larson or Carey Mulligan. She’s okay, but nothing special.
She reminds me of Natalie Portman, they were both amazing in their breaktrough roles, and then just stopped progressing.
Um, that poster is very unflattering for JL. JB fared a bit better, but it’s still poorly rendered. Weird choices.
Honk for Michelle Pfeiffer and What Lies Beneath. I remember when that came out, my mom and I went to the theater to see another movie, I don’t even remember what, a comedy I think. That movie was sold out, so we saw What Lies Beneath and I was freaked out the whole night afterwards. I also love me some Harrison Ford.
I’ll probably see this. I can do this kind of horror, I can even do old school slasher films. I cannot however deal with the nasty gross gory stuff out now (think Saw).
I remember seeing What Lies Beneath in the theatres with my mom too. It was a great movie. My mom was such a fan of Harrison Ford and still is that she has a love hate relationship with the movie to this day.
Moon Beam: I am with you, but from what I’ve heard about mother!, it will be a nasty, gory movie.
There are rumors of a rape/torture scene and a sacrificial murder. No thanks.
I’m not into horror movies, but What lies beneath is amazing. I watched it in the theatre and even bought it on DVD. It’s more psychological thriller than proper horror movie to me though. Michelle Pfeiffer is the greatest in it and I haven’t looked at Harrison Ford the same way again ever since…
I would probably be more inclined to see it if IMDB was not blitzing me with the trailer repeatedly every time I go on their site. Extremely annoying. Now I am inclined to resist the marketers’ oppressive salesmanship on sheer principle.
Javier Bardem. YUM.
He’s the sexiest. I’ll probably watch this on Apple TV in a year.
Darren’s movies are a true theater experience to watch in the theater. From The Fountain to Black Swan (one of my favorite movies). So will definitely watch this as it gives me Strong What Lies Beneath/ Rosemary’s Baby vibes. You’r are right Kasier, What Lies Beneath is a very underrated film in the horror franchise.
This movie looks good to me, and as always I want to thank CB, I want to see this NOW.
Also the violine sound in the back is horrific
It feels like The Others. Like, is she dead?