Mothers' Instinct

The story unfolds in 1960, a period of conventional gender roles and tightly knit communities. The suburban landscape of the era frames the characters’ expectations and the social pressure to maintain appearances. Tragedy disrupts this orderly world, exposing the fragility beneath the surface.

Two neighboring houses on a quiet suburban street form the backdrop for Mothers' Instinct. The setting emphasizes ordinary domestic life that belies a simmering tension between two families. The hedge dividing the yards becomes a symbolic barrier between safety and danger.

💔 Maternal Instinct

Two mothers form the center of the story, driven by love, fear, and the lengths they will go to protect their children. The film probes how protective instincts can blur moral boundaries and escalate into dangerous fixation. Rivalry between Alice and Céline reveals how jealousy and grief can warp ordinary neighborly bonds. The tension highlights the cost of placing a child’s safety above all else.

🔍 Suspicion & Gaslighting

Alice’s suspicions about Céline drive the narrative, turning every ordinary interaction into a potential trap. The hedge, the party, and the alleged poisonings become tools in a chilling game of perception vs. reality. The film builds unease through doubt, making the audience question what is real. The result is a creeping sense of paranoia that ends in tragedy.

🔥 Secrets & Consequences

Hidden motives propel the plot, revealing how long-buried secrets shape decisions and outcomes. The women’s opaque intentions push relationships to the brink, showing how deception can escalate to murder. The story emphasizes that preserving appearances often comes at a deadly price. In the end, the consequences ripple through the remaining family, altering futures.