Darren Aronofsky has never exactly been one to play by any other set of rules but his own, so it was hardly surprising that 2017’s nightmarish mother! came under heavy fire before, during, and after its theatrical release.
Having already upset plenty of religious groups with his biblical epic Noah, the filmmaker was at least braced for the similar backlash that greeted his follow-up effort, even if the haunting psychological chiller was a million miles away from a $125 million effects-heavy blockbuster that played fast and loose with source material a huge number of people hold very dear, and take utterly seriously.
Coming off the back of his awards season darling Black Swan and his biggest-ever box office success in Noah, it was entirely fitting for Aronofsky to turn his back on the mainstream to deliver his most staunchly unpalatable project to date – and the polarizing response was entirely to be expected given the horrifying events that unfold the further the story progresses.
Blasted in some quarters for its allegorical content and unflinching depictions of violence, mother! was adored and abhorred in equal measure, but it still has plenty of vocal supporters. In fact, it can’t be a coincidence that the harrowing story of one woman’s slide into the throes of insanity has embarked on a streaming renaissance right after its fifth anniversary.
Per FlixPatrol, mother! has been traumatizing an entirely new wave of viewers after gorging on the Google Play Movies most-watched charts, and there are no doubt many more sleepless nights to come as first-time audiences wrap their heads around the sheer what-the-f*ckery of the final act.