mother!

mother!

Year: 2017

Runtime: 121 min

Language: Czech

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Echo Score: 63

Budget: $30M

DramaMysteryThrillerHorror

A writer and her husband live a secluded life in a remote house, enjoying peace and quiet until unexpected guests arrive. As the visitors’ presence disrupts their sanctuary, unsettling events unfold, revealing the fragility of their relationship and exposing disturbing truths about humanity and the world beyond their home. The couple must then grapple with the increasingly chaotic situation and confront the consequences of the visitors' intrusion.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – mother! (2017)

Explore the full timeline and setting of mother! (2017). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The exact time period is not specified in the film, allowing the events to feel timeless and universal. It can be interpreted as set in the present day, mirroring contemporary societal norms and issues regarding individuality, family, and chaos.

Location

A refurbished house

The primary setting of the movie is a once-burned house that undergoes drastic transformation. Known for its eerie atmosphere, it symbolizes both warmth and coldness, reflecting the complex relationship between the characters. The house becomes a backdrop for themes of creation, destruction, and rebirth.

🏡 Home 🔥 Destruction

Last Updated: December 24, 2024 at 10:01

Main Characters – mother! (2017)

Meet the key characters of mother! (2017), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Him (Javier Bardem)

Him is a tortured poet struggling with writer's block and haunted by the loss of his first wife. His need for validation and love drives him to seek the attention of others, often at the expense of his relationship with Mother. His character embodies complex themes of devotion, selfishness, and the consequences of seeking adoration.

🖋️ Poet 💔 Grief 💭 Creator

Mother (Jennifer Lawrence)

Mother is a nurturing figure who becomes increasingly disturbed by the chaos surrounding her. Throughout the movie, she evolves from a hopeful, loving character to one filled with anguish and fury. Her experience reflects a journey through motherhood and the loss of innocence, culminating in a desperate fight for survival.

👩‍👧‍👦 Maternal 😟 Agitated 🔥 Resilient

Man (Ed Harris)

Man is a mysterious character who disrupts the once peaceful existence of Mother and Him. His illness and curiosity serve as catalysts for the events that unfold in the house. His polite demeanor contrasts sharply with the violence that ultimately erupts, highlighting the duality of human nature.

🔍 Intruder 🏚️ Disturbance ⚰️ Mortality

Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer)

Woman is the wife of Man, whose probing questions unsettle Mother and escalate the tension within the household. Her character represents intrusion and the complexities of marital relationships under strain. She fuels the chaos that grips the house, as her needs blend with those of her husband in a destructive manner.

👩‍❤️‍👨 Intrusive ❓ Curious 🔥 Chaotic

Oldest Son (Domhnall Gleeson)

Oldest Son grapples with resentment towards his brother, leading to violent outbursts that further unravel the domestic narrative. His character serves as a foil to Mother's nurturing tendencies, embodying the destructive instincts that arise within familial conflict.

👊 Aggressive 🏠 Conflict 🔪 Turmoil

Younger Brother (Brian Gleeson)

Younger Brother is caught in the middle of a violent sibling rivalry, representing innocence amidst chaos. His tragic fate amplifies the consequences of conflict within families, serving as a pivotal event that shakes the foundation of the household.

💔 Innocent ⚔️ Conflict 💀 Tragic

Last Updated: December 24, 2024 at 10:01

Major Themes – mother! (2017)

Explore the central themes of mother! (2017), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌪️ Chaos

Chaos reigns in the film as the characters deal with the breakdown of their domestic life. This theme is emphasized through the intrusion of strangers and the subsequent violent events that unfold within the house. The chaos reflects deeper human fears of loss, tragedy, and the unpredictable nature of life.

💔 Loss

The theme of loss pervades the movie, with both characters suffering from emotional and physical losses throughout. Him grapples with his past due to the death of his first wife, while Mother experiences the trauma of losing her child. This loss drives the characters' actions and ultimately leads to catastrophic consequences.

🔄 Rebirth

Rebirth is symbolized through the cyclical nature of Mother and Him's relationship, culminating in the destruction of the house and the eventual recreation of their existence. The transformation of the house signifies hope and new beginnings, despite the horrific events that unfold. It poses questions about the nature of love, creation, and renewal.

Last Updated: December 24, 2024 at 10:01

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Surreal home invasion horror like in mother!

Stories where a home becomes a stage for surreal and invasive horrors.If you liked the surreal and allegorical home invasion in mother!, explore more movies where domestic spaces turn into nightmarish landscapes. These films share a similar vibe of claustrophobic dread, oppressive atmosphere, and the unsettling breakdown of a safe haven, perfect for fans of psychological and symbolic horror.

surrealclaustrophobicunsettlingfeverishoppressivechaoticnightmarishanxious

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically begin with an idyllic or peaceful domestic setting that is gradually invaded, either by literal intruders or by abstract, allegorical forces. The protagonist's sense of control and safety erodes, leading to a feverish and often non-linear descent into chaos that comments on broader societal or existential fears.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared core premise: the home as a besieged fortress against surreal or symbolic threats. They connect through a potent mix of claustrophobic setting, high psychological tension, and a narrative structure that prioritizes allegorical meaning over literal plot, creating a uniquely unsettling viewing experience.

Complex allegorical thrillers like mother!

Complex allegories depicting the violent unraveling of a controlled system.For viewers who appreciated the dense biblical and artistic allegory in mother!, this collection features similar movies with very complex narratives and bleak endings. These films challenge interpretation, using symbolic stories to explore heavy themes like creation, sacrifice, and humanity's destructive nature, offering a profound and intense experience.

symboliccomplexbleakphilosophicaldisturbingthought-provokingchaoticheavy

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a central metaphor (e.g., artistic creation, biblical story, societal model) that dictates the plot's events. Characters often represent abstract concepts, and the story follows the violent or chaotic failure of the system they inhabit. The journey is one of increasing confusion and devastation for the protagonist, who is usually a sacrificial figure within the allegory.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their commitment to complex, non-literal storytelling that serves a grand allegorical purpose. They share a very high narrative complexity, a dark tone, a heavy emotional weight, and a bleak ending feel, united by their ambition to use cinema as a vehicle for exploring profound, often disturbing, philosophical ideas.

Unlock the Full Story of mother!

Don't stop at just watching — explore mother! in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what mother! is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

mother! Summary

Read a complete plot summary of mother!, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

mother! Summary

mother! Timeline

Track the full timeline of mother! with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

mother! Timeline

mother! Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of mother!? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

mother! Ending Explained

mother! Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of mother! that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

mother! Spoiler-Free Summary

More About mother!

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about mother!: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About mother!

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Discover movies like mother! that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.