Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway are among the finest actors of their generation, possessing the ability to enhance the quality of every film in which they appear. They previously collaborated on Christopher Nolan's Interstellar; however, the film's remarkable design resulted in their limited interaction on screen. In contrast, Benoît Delhomme's Mother's Instinct—a remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse’s 2018 Belgian thriller—successfully avoids this issue.

The Foundation

The two actors portray neighbouring residents whose lives become intertwined through themes of guilt, tragedy, and manipulation. The narrative encompasses a wide array of elements: campy humour, elaborate costumes, and a cascade of melodrama. However, the outcome is a film that feels overly bright, excessively heavy-handed, and somewhat too earnest for its own benefit.

Celine (Anne Hathaway) and Alice (Jessica Chastain) are suburban homemakers who develop a deep friendship, intuitively grasping each other's aspirations and emotions as if they were sisters separated at birth. Alice manages to maintain her composure despite having faced a fragile situation in the past, while Celine offers her steadfast support—two women navigating the joys and challenges of motherhood together. Their seemingly perfect lives are shattered by the tragic and unexpected death of Celine's son, Max (Baylen D. Bielitz), who falls from the balcony of their home. In the aftermath, Alice is consumed by guilt, and Celine finds it unbearable to confront her.

This tragic loss shatters the domestic tranquillity that Celine and Alice once enjoyed. Celine's husband, Damian (Josh Charles), turns to alcohol, causing their relationship to deteriorate further with each passing day. Celine's depression jeopardizes the illusion that their neighbours attempt to maintain in the ensuing months, while Alice struggles to comprehend how to support her friend.

What works

Alice grapples with her own anxieties throughout her journey, which intensify as she begins to suspect that Celine may be orchestrating something far more malevolent behind her vacant expressions. Her husband, Simon (Anders Danielsen Lie), remains sceptical of her concerns. Is she merely fantasizing? Could this truly be happening?

Mother's Instinct possesses significant potential to emerge as a campy yet captivating psychodrama of the year, ideal for repeated viewings. However, the narrative lacks subtlety and a discerning approach to character development. The tone, frequently highlighted by brightly lit scenes featuring pastel-coloured attire, feels discordant, preventing the melodrama from reaching its fullest, most engaging expression.

Final thoughts

Jessica Chastain delivers an impressive performance in a role that could easily be overlooked, skillfully portraying Alice's vulnerability as her most potent asset. She is complemented by Hathaway's incisive portrayal of Celine, a character gradually losing her identity. One cannot help but wish for a more theatrical exploration of these roles, as both actresses possess the potential for a dynamic rivalry reminiscent of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. However, the film falls short of the suspenseful edge characteristic of a Hitchcock thriller.

Nonetheless, Mother's Instinct succeeds in being a comfortably safe melodrama, resolving its conflicts with relative ease.

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